War of Magicians:The Birth of the Phoenix
by Rosabell
Summary: (Formerly 'I Am the Phoenix')During the end of the Han Dynasty,after the death of Clow Reed,Yue and Kerberus met Crowned Prince Julan.Now,after the Final Judgment,something will happen to Syaoran that may result in the end-and only Yue could stop it.
1. Default Chapter

War of Magicians

The Birth of the Phoenix

_Here? In the woods?  
What lunacy!  
The woods are no place for young children,  
But I am no ordinary child.  
One flick of my thumb,  
And you will combust.  
One flick of my wrist,   
And your bones will shatter,  
To tiny atoms,  
Whisking away in the wind.  
One tilt of my head,  
And you will see no more.  
One word from my mouth,  
And your soul will be shredded   
To a thousand pieces_

Phoenix's address to the sorcerors

Chapter 1

Being a prince was hard. Being an heir was harder. Because everyone expects you to do so well. The royal children were all woken at five in the morning and carried to their respected scholars' homes. There they would study for eight hours, sometimes taking small breaks in between depending on the scholar. The rest of the day they had homework to do. It was hard.

Julan, or Xiao Lang, as his family called him since it meant " Young lad" in an affectionate way, had just finished the last bit of homework he had to do-which was to memorize a statement of one of the philosophers some hundred years ago, and write it down. His handwriting wasn't exceptional, but it did earn compliments from his teacher as well as the Emperor, who adored him. Xiao Lang held a reverence for the Emperor, partly because they hardly meet, and when they do, the Emperor made sure to fondle over him a little bit. It made him feel special.

The other children, of course, didn't like this. Xiao Lang thought what it would be like if he had a normal family. Throughout the course of history the royal family was always disfunctional, literally. He heard of many occasions where the Crowned Prince tried to kill the Emperor so he could have more power, or the elderly Empress suppresses her own son. He knew that the lords would not submit to his power when he reaches the throne. 

Xiao Lang was smarter than most children. He's intelligent enough to dread the day he becomes Emperor.

  
  
For a guardian with a beloved master, death was hard to cope with. Yue tried everything, from burning goods to leaving his home in Europe with Kerberus and coming to China. He must have presented quite a spectacle, traveling with a winged squirrel, pale with white hair. A demon, he heard some people say. But it's hard to listen to Chinese. There were fifty-six different races-the Hans, Mans, Mongols, for example, and even several Koreans, who all called themselves Chinese, had different languages, and therefore different accents. Sometimes the pronounciations are changed completely-wan, which means play, for example, would be changed to b'syung syung, and there were different versions of ' ni hao'.

With the different dialects, customs and traditions, Yue thought the Chinese were more of a spectacle than he could possibly be. They were fairly hospitable, use to travelers since there were, indeed, so many races, and the land was humongous. 

To make matters worse, the area he was in was coincidentally on the Emperor's ' to-visit' list. He was simply _eager _to meet the Emperor of this terrible country, never mind the beauty of it. This land was simply _horrid_.

" Huang Shang Xia Dao!!"

Yue briefly translated the words in his mind into " The Emperor Is Coming". The commoners immediately bowed down to their knees. Yue hurriedly did the same.

The Emperor's entrance was splendid. There were two lines of men carrying banners. A long line of banners trailed, and then there were people carrying various boxes and clothing, The Emperor himself sat on his carriage, dressed in complete black with golden dragons, as was the custom ever since Shihuangdi ordered it to be. From Clow Reed Yue knew that some time after the Han Dynasty the clothing will be changed to that of gold, but his master would never know if it was in reality true.

The lords of the county went up and greeted the Emperor on their knees, shouting in unison,   
" Wu Huang Wan Sui, Wan Wan Sui!" as if ten thousand years was the greatest number there is. Perhaps it is, in Chinese.

The Emperor stood up on his horse-drawn carriage and Yue could peek through the locks of hair. The Emperor was a handsome and young man-only in his thirties. From the gossips of random peasants Yue knew this Emperor had taken the throne when he was sixteen and his name was Liu Li. He was a very intelligent Emperor, and had earned, though with difficulty, the reverence of his father's lords, and right now had sixteen children with various wives. Of them all, he favored the Crowned Prince, who was the son of the Empress, who the Emperor for some reason did not favor as much. The workings of the royal family were always confusing for Yue.

The Emperor stood tall. His hair was pulled into a bun on the top of his head and the royal crown, a headdress with strings of beads dangling at the front and back, swayed as he moved. He acknowledged the lords with a smile, and bid them stand. Yue could tell that the voice held a hint of casualty in it. These lords were the Emperor's closer friends.

It was after several exchanges when the Emperor's eyes fell on Yue. Yue felt it like a blow. He lowered his head, trying to hide, but he stood out like a roman candle.

" Who is that man?" The Emperor asked. " He looks rather foreign."  
" He is a traveler from seven seas yonder." One lord answered. " You are interested in him, Majesty?"  
" It is rare that we receive such guests these days." The Emperor frowned. " And he does not appear to be hostile. I would like to speak with him."

Yue fell to musing as he kneeled. He knew this Emperor liked learning new things. He also knew that it was a custom for royalty to speak of you as if you weren't there. The lord who first spoke came over to him.

" His Majesty wishes you to ride with him in his royal carriage."

Yue wasn't sure how to respond. 

" Are you not going to thank him?"  
" Oh. Xie Huang Shang." Yue bowed till his head touched the rough ground, all the while wondering how he got into this most certain of messes.

  
  
The Princess Meiling was in Prince Julan's chambers. The two often could be seen together with Prince Che. Meiling was a cousin to Prince Xiao Lang. Her mother was the princess who was married to a King of a small country. Che was Xiao Lang's half brother. He was the son of the sixth wife of the Emperor and was Xiao Lang's age.

Prince Xiao Lang had grabbed his sword and tossed one to Prince Che, who was babbling about how he will beat his brother this time. 

" Che'er," Meiling groaned, " Stop talking and start practicing. You say that every time you practice with Xiao Lang and he always beats you."  
" That's in the past. This is the present. Hurry up, Xiao Lang."  
" I'm coming." Xiao Lang snickered, before following his brother out. Meiling sighed and followed, grabbing her own sword. " I duel the winner!"

  
  
" How long will I live?"

Yue cursed mentally. Just like him to get himself into a situation like this, but really, this was ridiculous. What kind of idiot will say they're a magician _when _they're a magician? But the Emperor thought he was a psychic, or at least Yue somehow told him he was, and was testing him with the most obvious of questions.

Yue sighed. How will he go about this? He took out his Clow Cards. Void will mean death. He shuffled them thoroughly, then laid them out. Flower. Windy. Watery. Earthy. Jump. Fly. Sand. Freeze.

After twenty or so cards, the Void card appeared.

" That will be a long time to wait, would it not?" The Emperor grinned. Tell me what will happen tomorrow?"

Yue gathered up the cards and shuffled. He flicked out a card. The Illusion.

" Thou shalt findeth out many." Yue answered. The Illusion always meant the same thing as the Moon in Tarot Cards when Clow Reed was using them. " By one of thy lords, most possibly."

The Emperor said nothing. But in his eyes was a twinkle. Yue knew the Emperor was intrigued.

  
  
Xiao Lang ducked while slashing at the other's feet, keeping his sword well controlled so no accidents will happen. His hair tumbled out of its bun and Che managed to slash at it, bringing a lock to his fingers. At the same time Xiao Lang cut off the lace at the hilt of the other's sword. They sprang apart.

" Ah, see, Didi?" Che laughed, delighted. Xiao Lang blinked. " Little brother, if I had not been so easy on you, this lock of hair might have been your head!"  
" Look at your hilt." Xiao Lang answered. Meiling was laughing. Che stared at his sword.   
" Ah! My lace!"  
" Dui! If I had not been easy on _you, _that lace might have been your hand!"  
" A draw then." Che seemed pleased.   
" However," Xiao Lang, " Meiling ne? She can't duel both of us at the same time, being a girl and all. Heck, even I can't duel both of you at the same time!"  
" That's right!" Meiling laughed. " Fight! Da ya! After all, you still want to beat him, right Che'er?"

Che'er smirked. Xiao Lang got into a defending position. Che'er attacked first.  
" Jia!"

  
  
Yue wandered the gardens aimlessly, Kero at his shoulder.  
" You really got yourself into a hard one, Yue." Kero said seriously. " Unless you have some sort of master plan, you're not going to get out. If the Emperor finds you're a fake, you're dead. If the Emperor finds you're real, he'll keep you until you die. What if people find out you never die? That'll be a problem."

" Hya!" A cry from several meters away sounded throughout the yard. " Take that! Hayy!"  
" What are you, a turtle?" A girl's voice asked. " Che'er!"  
" Ow!"  
" Look behind you! Lao Tian Ye! What are you going to do if several soldiers sneak up behind you and you back up to one of their swords?"

There was a short silence. Yue slowly made his way over to the other yard.

There were three children, about ten years of age. Two boys, one girl, all dressed royally. The girl was slim, with long black hair tied up into several buns and with streams of black coming down. She was dressed in a pink flower robe with a white cream dress below tied with a red sash. The boy who looked like he had backed into a tree, had a bun on top of his head, with hair coming down to his shoulders. His forehead glistened with sweat. He was dressed in blue and brown, and held a jewel sword in his left hand while the sheath was at his right. He was panting and laughing at the same time.

The other boy was the only one who did not have brown eyes. His eyes were amber gold and glowed with the sunlight. His hair, brown hair, was tied into a bun, though some of it had come off, and he was dressed in green and white. 

" This is called, ' Jiang jun hou mian kan bu dou, xiao bing shen bian ci de zhao.'" The amber eyed prince laughed. " Even if you do become a general, watch out for the soldiers behind your back, Che'er!"  
" Shut up!" ' Che'er' blurted ungraciously. " And what about ' Xiao ren gao xing de tai zou?'"  
" Hai!" Xiao Lang slashed at Che'er, who dodged, laughing. Meiling clapped her hands. " ' Ying xiong sho hua wan de hao!'"  
" Xiao yu kan jian gou lai ye!"  
" Da yu kou yuan li de hao!"

Needless to say, Yue had no idea what the children were talking about. He knew enough logic to understand they were taunting each other.

" That's the biggest load of nonsense I've ever heard in my life!" Meiling groaned. " You two would never become poets!"  
" Like I want to!" the amber eyed boy laughed. " I doubt I will become one!"  
" Hrn, when those lords overthrow you and start a new dynasty, you might think otherwise!" Che taunted. The amber boy simply sniffed.  
" If they overthrow us, it won't do you any good." He answered. " Come on, let's go inside. My robes are all wet."

_He must be the Crowned Prince._ Yue thought to himself. But as the child departed with his friends Yue felt a familiar sensation.

_An aura..._

It wasn't just any aura, though it if was Yue would still be amazed. For one thing, the boy's father did not have magic, and neither did the Empress. Yet this boy did. 

This boy did...

Biting his lip, Yue slunked through the bushes and behind the house. From the windows he could hear the children talking.

" You may leave." He heard the amber-eyed boy's voice say. There was a chorus of " Shi"s, and silent footsteps.   
" So Xiao Lang, what are we to do now? Do you want to play Wei Qi?"   
" That board game? Nah. I want to read."  
" Reading? Xiao Lang, you always want to read. You ought to be a scholar."

Xiao Lang? Yue frowned. There was no one named Xiao Lang, at least not any he knew.

" Seriously, this book is great. It talks about Han Wudi-it's one of those scrolls that were left over by Sima Qian."  
" The eunuch lord?"  
" Liu Che!" The girl's voice scolded.  
" Seriously Che'er," Xiao Lang's voice joined in. " What exactly is with you and eunuchs?"

Yue stopped listening when he heard footsteps. He ducked behind a tree.

" Who could have thought, the Emperor actually believes that foreign albino. It was the biggest load of nonsense I've ever seen in my life, and I told him so, but what did he say? Let him stay, let him stay, he is a foreigner after all. Foreigner my eye! Just because he's a foreigner, doesn't mean he could just get away with lying to His Majesty!"

It was definetely a lord, for only a lord could be on such close terms with the Emperor. Yue continued listening.

" The Emperor always has plans anyway. Remember how it was when he was still a Crowned Prince? He tricked us all into believing that he loves this girl when in reality it was only to get his brothers off-guard and wham!"

The second voice sounded like that of a young man, but if he was with the Emperor from the time of his childhood, then.... Yue listened more closely.

" Yeah, well, did you two ever think," It was a third lord, " Why there would be a foreigner popping out of nowhere? What if he's a spy? If the Emperor keeps his enemies close, he might save the country."

Yue bit his lip. That wasn't good news.

The door opened and he saw the children come out.

" Your Highnesses." The three lords bowed. The girl giggled.  
" Lord Lin, Lord Zhang, Lord Ji. What a pleasant surprise. What brings you hither?"  
" Oh, nothing my lady." One of the lords answered. " 'Tis only that His Majesty the Emperor wishes to see the Crowned Prince and the First Prince."

_Heaven forbid. That is the Crowned Prince. I was half tempted to think he was a lord's son but apparently he's not._ Yue swallowed. He studied the boy a little more closely. _A lovely child. He'll grow to be a handsome man. Though I daresay those eyes are quite discomforting._

" Come then, Huang Xiong," the Crowned Prince gestured to his brother. " Let us be off. We will be back presently, Huang Jie."  
" Of course." Meiling smiled. " I'll return to my quarters. Servants!"

Yue watched, almost fascinated, as the princes were escorted by the lords, and the princess was eventually surrounded by many young women and eunuchs, who carried her car over so she could ride instead of walk.

As the royalty left, Yue turned around and headed back to his own chambers.

  
  
" You seem to take a special interest in the Crowned Prince." Kero observed, lying on the bed.  
" Perhaps. His aura is very unusual."  
" He had an aura? I did not sense any aura around here."  
" Well he did. It was rather small, but it was an aura. And a very unusual one, mayhap because of different magic."  
" What do you want to do now?"  
" I'm not sure. Perhaps find a way to save my skin. I know not what the Emperor has in mind, but I know he is suspicious at least."  
" Perhaps you can study the boy while you stay." Kero answered, yawning, showing his teeth as he relaxed his tail. " There is no doubt that even if the boy has magic, he did not have any training as of yet. Up till now I know not why you came to this devilish place of all places, but perhaps you were drawn somehow by this child's aura."  
" Drawn by the child's aura? Kero, that's nonsense."  
" Nonsense or not," Kero answered, " It is not by chance you were recognized by the Emperor. Mark you, nothing happens by chance. For whatever reason you were taken by the Emperor, you're not going to escape until you fulfilled whatever destiny you were to fulfill."

Yue was silent for a long while.

  
  
" Hai'er Julan can jian Huang Fu." Xiao Lang bowed. " Your son Julan greets Royal Father."  
" Hai'er Che'er can jian Huang Fu." Che said almost at the same time, bowing as well.  
" Ah, my sons!" Li smiled, rising from behind his table. " 'Twas a long time since we last met! How are you during my departure?"  
" Very well, many thanks." The sons said at the same time.  
" How are your studies?" Li asked.  
" Going very well. Father, we heard you brought a sorcerer to Chang'an. May we see him?" Xiao Lang asked, already excited.

The Emperor Li laughed at the request. " Lai ren!" He called for the servants, " Chuan Ri Di Yue!"

After issuing that order, there was a bustle of activity, before the guardian came before the children's eyes for the first time.Che gasped.  
" Father, he's a foreigner! Or an albino, or both. Are foreigners all so pale?"

Xiao Lang, on the other hand, studied the guardian with a fiercer gaze. He looked thoughtful.

" A sorcerer, eh?" The boy asked, walking with the regal steps of a Crowned Prince. " I can see why people say you're a sorcerer. Tell me, where did you come from?"

Yue looked humble. " Hui Taizi hua," He began, " In answer to the Crowned Prince's question, I come from the land of Gaul, far to the west where the sun sets."  
" Byzantium?" Xiao Lang narrowed his eyes. " Just how far is this land?"  
" Farther than the eye can see, many times the size of the Han Country." Yue answered. " For though this land may be the center of this world, the world is a large ground to be."  
" If the world should be so large, perhaps you have much to tell us of your land." Xiao Lang answered. Yue studied the boy. Up close, the amber eyes flooded with keen intelligence. This boy is terribly smart. Yue wondered how well he'll stand up to the child's inquisition.  
" In answer to the Crowned Prince's question," Yue answered, " I believe there _are_ a great many things to tell." 


	2. Chapter 2

War of Magicians

The Birth of the Phoenix

Chapter 2

Sakura beamed as she sat down. " Right on time." Just then, there was a bell, and the sensei, who had been sitting at his desk to wait, stood up to take attendance.   
" Good job." Syaoran muttered half-heartedly; he was searching through his bookbag in such a way that his head was nearly buried in it. Sakura and Tomoyo stared at him with cocked eyebrows and then looked at each other.

" Ano...Syaoran-kun," Sakura hesitated, " _What _are you doing?"  
" I'm trying to figure out what made my bag so heavy all of the sudden." Having said this, the other boy proceeded to just take all his books out and lay them on the table, only shouting a muffled " Here" when the sensei called his name. Terada cocked an eyebrow with the same expression as Sakura and Tomoyo, then proceeded to ignore it.

Syaoran suddenly stopped moving, staring at his bag, and this lasted for about fifteen seconds before he started to load up his bag all over again. Sakura and Tomoyo watched him with ill-concealed interest but neither spoke a word. Syaoran sat up straight, having finished everything, and acted as if nothing had happened.

Taking the hint, both Tomoyo and Sakura turned around. If Syaoran isn't saying anything, they won't ask questions. After all, it had nothing to do with magic.

Right?

  
  
" Good job," Touya smiled, as Yukito lost his lunchbag in the garbage can. Yukito made a sorrowful expression before picking it back out-it was his lunch after all, and wasn't that deep either. Touya started laughing at Yukito as they walked.

" A little bit of butterfingery, are we today Yuki-san?"  
" Not helping To-ya."  
" Gee, why are you so downhearted today?" Touya asked.  
" Because I've been getting pictures of the kid wearing robes."  
" The gaki?"  
" Hai."  
" Wait, the green robes?"  
" Not really. Golden ones."  
" Weird." Touya looked sympathetically at him. " Must be sick or something.""

Yukito did not answer.

  
  
The Han Dynasty had to have existed at least two thousand years ago. More, even, because it lasted nine hundred years, and at the end it ended at around 204 or so A.D. Yue wasn't sure if Japan existed then. It probably did, because as the Crowned Prince had muttered when others laughed in delight, " those wretched Japanese stole our servant's clothing and customs".

Xiao Lang could have been wrong, but the Japanese had to have gotten their clothing and code of courtesy from somewhere, and in those years China was the idol of all other smaller countries that were about. There was an uncanny resemblance of female Japanese clothing to that of servants in the royal palaces, and the new form of bowing had indeed come from servants. It really should have flattered the Chinese. Yue briefly wondered why the prince was so annoyed. It wasn't as if the Japanese wanted to insult the Chinese and claim those things for their own-they didn't. They modified it, then they claimed it for their own.

But the prince was always good at arguing. Yue could imagine it now. The young child would say, " When you write an essay, even when you paraphrase, you still give credit to the original author. How is it different with culture?"

The prince was quite a figure.

Yue half stared at the painting on the wall in art class. It showed a Japanese noble with his wife in a garden. The Crowned Prince Xiao Lang was a great artist and composer. He even personally gave Yue one of his artwork and wrote a song for him. Yue lost both.

However, there was one thing Yue did not lose. He remembered that the child always had a pair of orange and golden feathers with him-long, beautiful and glittering. One the day of his death Xiao Lang had given him one of the feathers and gasped out the story.

_" I am the son of a Phoenix, for the Emperor is the Dragon, and his Empress is the Phoenix. I am the son of both Phoenix and Dragon, and so was my father, my grandfather, the fathers before him. But there was one thing-upon my birth, they said a phoenix landed near my mother's window and watched as she labored. The servants, awed, bowed before it to plead for my mother's health as well as the hope of the Han. When I was born the servants turned their back-all but one, to it, and that one servant saw the phoenix flutter its wings and take off. Hours later, after they bathed me and clothed me, they found these two feathers on a slip of paper that wrote,_

' To the one the Phoenix will protect, and to the one the one would deliver from darkness.'

Alas, my time is over, but these feathers one shall be mine. But you, let this be the day when you are delivered from the darkness of sorrow. I pray you will find the rightful master, but until then, let this feather protect you from harm. Let this..."

  
  
Lunch time went by quietly. The boys went on their side to play catch with a volleyball and the girls ran around playing tag. Syaoran sat at the roots of a tree twirling the orange-gold feather in his fingers. He found the thing lying neatly at the bottom of his bookbag. It didn't solve the mystery of how his bookbag got so heavy, but it didn't seem to matter really. He felt at ease with the feather, as if it were a lost treasure.

Maybe it was.

Syaoran glanced up. That bastard Hiriingaziwa again. In his mind he suddenly stormed into the court of the main hall, towards the stuttering lord.

_" Do you take me for a fool?!?!"_

" Li-san?"

Syaoran blinked, looking up at Hiriingaziwa. He was no longer in the court of Chang'an. He was not yelling at the stuttering lord dressed in robes bowing and pleading for mercy from a young child. This was Hiriingaziwa. This was Tomoeda. Syaoran shut his eyes.

" That's an interesting feather you found yourself there." Hiriingaziwa smiled. 

Syaoran looked at the feather. He put it in his backpack. He didn't want anyone else to see it all of the sudden. Hiriingaziwa looked puzzled, something very unusual for the new student. Syaoran was a quick judge of character. Most of the time he's right.

Most, anyway.

" Is there something you need?" Syaoran's tone clearly stated he did not want anything to do with him. Hiriingaziwa didn't seem to take the hint, and instead sat down beside Syaoran while saying  
" Oh, nothing really. Just wanted to talk. I'm still unuse to Japan."

_Figures._ Syaoran thought to himself. _Took me a month to get use to Japan, with all the ridiculous bowings and -sans, -chans, -kuns, card capturing while trying to act like everyone else because this is what Japanese are-_

It was odd, because Syaoran never disliked Japan. He was definetely afraid when he first came here, but hated? So why was he so bitter all of the sudden?

" I heard you were a transfer student yourself. Li doesn't sound Japanese, it sounded either Korean or Chinese. Are you Korean?"

Lee. Right. Syaoran shook his head. " Chinese." He answered.

_" Let us defend our country, the great Han!"_

" Li-san?"

Syaoran snapped out of his daze. There was a cold fear etched in his heart. He stood up nervously, swinging on his bookbag.  
" I have to go inside." He said, then, without turning back, headed into the building.

Eriol remained sitting at the trunk watching the boy leave. When Syaoran was out of sight he let his face fall into a frown. A most perplexing mystery indeed.

  
  
_" Bixia, tian xia da luan. Chen, fashi jie Taizi de feng yu, zuo wei huang yin."  
" Fang si! Bu cheng! Feng yu shi wo de. Zen ma neng sui bian jiao chu wei yin?!"_

The voice of the prince was always commanding. Even as the heir Xiao Lang had won the respect of all the lords. Pity the child never knew it. Yue sighed, taking the feather and twirling it between his fingers. 

The sky darkened suddenly. Yue looked up, unalarmed because he did not sense any magic. It began to rain, a sudden downpour without any warnings. The rain beat harshly against the ground and suddenly the air became cold.

Outside there was a figure running. It stopped by a tree. Yue leaned over. It was the boy.

_Ah, my lord, I always wondered what you would look like when caught in the rain with no one to help you._ Yue thought grimly. _Though at first it was out of malice._

The child stood there, hesitating, looking at the front door. Yue sighed, standing up, and then opened the door.

" Aren't you going to come in?" Yue asked a little harshly, focusing on Syaoran while observing from the corners of his eyes the flooded streets that were now impossible to cross. " You use to come all the time."

Syaoran looked confused. He looked around on the streets and gingerly came inside. Yue closed the door and took off Syaoran's wet jacket.

" Why are you in your true form?" Syaoran asked very quietly as he stared at Yue.  
" I was uneasy." Yue answered. 

Syaoran stood there for a moment. He was completely soaked, and didn't know if he should sit down. Yue paused.  
" Wait here."

Syaoran looked about him and noticed the yellowish feather on the coffee table. He stared at it for a long while, not picking it up. Outside the wind knocked one of the tree branches down on the window, creating a banging sound. Syaoran did not even flinch. There was a flash of lightning, followed by a roar and a crack in the sky. Yue came down.

" Here." Yue handed him a cotton shirt and pants. Syaoran looked at the shirt. Something clicked in his mind, a slight reminder that he was vulnerable inside a house that was not his own. But he nodded gingerly and started walking towards the nearby bathroom to change.

  
  
The Chinese also had a Phoenix, Yue recalled, though it was different from the European one. Their stories say that fire makes the Phoenix stronger, but didn't exactly bring it back to life not as he remembered. The Phoenix was the King of all birds, and was the most beautiful, most powerful bird of all.

But the Phoenix never played a major part in Chinese legends, not as Yue remembered. The real beast was the Dragon, and there were stories such as the Journey to the West that said the dragon was of air and water. The Four Great Dragons of the Sea were a common folktale. Unlike the rest of the Chinese gods, the Dragon was an unruly beast that does not follow the normal rules of Heaven. It's just as powerful, but there was no one to control it.

The Phoenix was probably a pet of some god. Yue remembered there was a god with a bird for a messenger. It was never as wondrous as the Dragon for some reason.

" Yue?"

Yue looked up. Syaoran looked rather boyish then, wearing Yukito's old clothing. He looked so frail and small.

" Do you want to eat something before you do your homework?" Yue asked quietly. " It doesn't look like the rain is going to end anytime soon. In fact, I believe they say it's going to rain until evening. I doubt water will do a phoenix much good."

Syaoran didn't seem too surprised by the last comment. He looked at the window.

" The Dragon controls the rain though." He answered.  
" True." Yue sighed. " But even so, you are no longer the Dragon."

At this Syaoran seemed puzzled. " What do you mean? I'm born in the year of the dragon."

Yue smiled. " Do you really want to go back out again?"

Syaoran stared at him for a moment, perhaps surprised that Yue actually smiled at him.

" Come. I think Yukito has some cookies stored somewhere. Sit down and make yourself comfortable."

The guardian stood up and left for the kitchen.

  
  
Math isn't that hard. It's not the reason why Sakura hated math. Math requires concentration. One hundred percent concentration. The hard problems-you can't solve. The easy problems, you get wrong anyway because of careless mistakes. _That's _why Sakura hates math.

She sighed as she leaned back. In math class they don't just give you six or seven problems. They give you sixty. Seventy. And you have to write the question down. Even if they're easy, which most of the time they are, they still take half an hour simply because you need several seconds to write them down.

" Sakura, dinner's ready!" Her father called downstairs. Sakura looked up. " One second Otou san!"

Suddenly she was surrounded by fire. It was dark, but the fire was so bright her eyes burned. Beneath the crackle of the flames she could hear a child singing. That voice sounded so familiar. The flames parted and she could see a figure dressed in green and gold, dancing in the red, wielding a sword so bright it seemed to drown the light of the fire. The figure eventually turned and glanced at her. She gasped. It was Syaoran! Yet this Syaoran had long hair, dark brown, half of it tied up into a bun and the other half streaming down his shoulders. His eyes were bright gold in the firelight, and he smiled at her. With one wave of his hand, the fires closed around him.

Sakura blinked. She was in her room again. There was a knock on the door.

" Hey kaijuu." It was her brother. " Get down or there won't be any food for you."

Sakura hesitated. " Ano...coming!" She dropped her pen and darted to the door.

  
  
When Yue came back Syaoran hurriedly put back the feather he had been studying. Yue paused. He placed the cookies on the coffee table and picked up the feather.

" Do you know what this feather is?" He asked Syaoran. Syaoran shook his head mutely. Yue wondered when Syaoran suddenly became so silent and quiet. " This is the feather of a phoenix." He lifted it to the sun so it would glitter more. " Thousands of years ago, after Clow Reed died, I went to China, or the Great Han, as they called it." He blinked. " There I met a young prince. He was the Crowned Prince, about your age, but he was more than that. He had two phoenix feathers. He gave one to me."

Syaoran looked at the feathers. " The prince...was he anything like me?" He asked.

Yue paused. " He's a lot like you. Even looks like you. Though perhaps he was more cheerful when I first met him."

Syaoran looked at his bag that was on the floor. " He must have treated you well if you kept it all this time."

Yue paused. " It wasn't really that." He answered truthfully, hoping beyond hope that Syaoran was the one. " Somehow I loved him." He stared at the window where the rain poured down. " Somehow I loved him."

Syaoran shifted to his bag. " I really should start doing my homework."

Yue smiled. Syaoran quickly looked away. It was unnerving to see Yue so open. Pleasant, yes, but unusual.

Yue watched Syaoran dig out his books. The feather stuck onto one as they came out and fell to the carpet. Yue's heart, formally tight, instantly relaxed and his hopes rose. He picked up the feather before Syaoran could hide it.

" Where did this come from?" Yue asked, keeping his face straight, hoping, hoping...  
" It just appeared in my bookbag this morning," Syaoran's eyes darted from Yue to the feather on the table.

_He is. He is. He is. He is._ It was all Yue could think of as he stared at Syaoran. The same eyes, the same nose, the same lips, cheek, chin. The same voice, even.

" Here." Yue handed the feather back. Syaoran took it uncertainly, before bending over the table to do his homework. Yue watched him from the stairs the entire time. 


	3. Chapter 3

War of Magicians

The Birth of the Phoenix

Chapter 3

There was a section of the garden that had many trees, most of them weeping willows because the present Emperor Li liked them. The concubines liked lilies, so there was also a section of lilies in the garden. Towards the north were peonies, rows and rows of them lined in bushes, tall and wide. Princess, or rather Lady Meiling, as Yue was corrected, though most simply call her princess because she lived with the princes, could often be seen alone with those peonies. 

The young lady also had a dog, a rather small one, more of a puppy than anything, who she recently received as a gift from one of the members of the Cabinet. It was like a wolf pup, with tall ears and black fur coat with white fur underneath. It also had blue eyes, an interesting color, and small, delicate feet. It used to bound around in the gardens chasing butterflies and bees, though it always runs away from the latter sometime later.

Not the most intelligent creature.

Sometime later Yue met the Crowned Prince. Julan was very interested in the workings of the western world, but he wasn't particularly interested in learning any more than Yue told him. Sometime later the child had muttered something about " the country will fall to its doom", or " the government will collapse someday", but he figured it was all part of the prince's queerness and unnerving intelligence.

Yue actually met Xiao Lang in the courtyard for horses. The Emperor had a special horse called the Blood-Sweat Horse. It's character was its name-the sweat of the horse was red, the color of blood. It's a mighty fast and wild-tempered horse, and its species was rare.

The prince was riding on the horse. The horse was trying to have a free head, but the prince was not giving him that. Watching the child, so small, on such a great beast made Yue feel afraid.

" Yi!" The child soothed the horse, stopping it. He looked over at the guardian.  
" Why stand there?" He asked good-naturedly. Yue concluded the boy was in a good mood. " Awed, are you, by the steed?" The child patted the steed's neck. " Quite a jade, if it doesn't like the master, but when a child sits on it, it really is quite gentle."

Gentle?

" I hardly call _bucking_ gentle," Yue said without humor. " It would not do the country good for their crowned prince to die by breaking his neck."

The child laughed at that comment. " You are a witty fellow, eh?" He turned the horse's head. " No, it would not do the country good. But the horse is mine. I ride him all the time. If I were lying on the ground he will not step on me. Come, pet him. I promise in the name of heaven he will not hurt you. After all, you are my father's most favorite advisor now."

Yue hesitated. It was true. After giving some advice from a foreigner's point of view, good advice, as he assumed, the Emperor had taken a liking to him. The prince hardly met him, so Yue wasn't too comfortable, but the horse seemed to be encouraging him.

The nose was soft and warm. Yue looked up at the prince, who had an amused smile on his face. The prince pulled the horse's head back.

" Very impatient, this one." Xiao Lang patted the horse's mane. " Too long, and he'll start rearing. I'll see you later. Jia!"

The horse trotted steadily away from Yue. Yue glanced after the child. It was said that mighty horses like mighty men, and they liked affectionate masters as well. That horse could kill the child by flinging him off its back.

The boy disappeared.

  
  
The concubines each lived in their own quarters and houses, because Chang'an was a giant place. Most of them were either servants that the Emperor liked and rewarded, or gifts from nearby kingdoms. So far there were twenty concubines, though not all of them gave the Emperor a child.

It wasn't that bad. It was the Emperor's duty to produce as many heirs as he could, 'just in case'. The foolish women would do anything to be by the Emperor's side, and this brought great fortune to their families. Most of the time. Though it was not common, of course, that the ladies would fight amongst each other for the Emperor's attention-something the wiser ones avoided by not marrying the Emperor at all.

The Crowned Prince, though the smartest of all the children, was not the oldest, as may be expected. The oldest son of the Emperor was fifteen years old and was the son of the fourth concubine, not because the Emperor neglected the Empress, but because there were many miscarriages. All of the Empress's previous children were female, and all died when they were one year of age. The first prince was named Liu Yujin, or Liu Lin. He was, quite unfortunately, a little degraded in the head, and had not the second oldest son, Liu Xuan, been born, Li would probably have been most devastated.

Because of his unfortunate condition, Prince Lin was also very trustworthy. The mental state of his mind was balanced with his silence. Indeed, even if he had spoken at all, no one would understand him save his milk-mother, so even lords were at ease with him.

However, what Yue found interesting was that this idiot, this oaf of a prince, did not like Yue, and seemed to be especially fond of the young Crowned Prince. The third time Yue saw Syaoran, the oldest prince was with him, and at the sight of the guardian the teenager drew the younger one behind him and gave Yue the fiercest and truest glare Yue had ever been subject to in his life.

It made him sad, because this particular boy had magic as well. Perhaps this child had unpleasant encounters with sorcerers? Yue did not know. But it was obvious that this idiot prince had sensed something about Yue that made him different from others. It was odd, almost, having that poor boy protect the child. Any fool could have outwitted him.

Yue stayed away from the First Prince. Not because he was afraid of him, but because the First Prince was so pathetic he had no choice.

  
  
" It's a really strange family, the Liu's." Kerberus mumbled as he took Yue's share of roast pork. " They have a thirty year old guy for an Emperor who had sixteen children already, with twenty wives, a mentally handicapped first prince and a physically handicapped fourth. The youngest prince happened to be the smartest one, and he's the heir. The old grandma-Empress wants the Emperor dead. His brothers keep trying to humiliate him. What is the world coming to?"  
" The world is going nowhere as of now." Yue answered. " Of course, back in our country the world is falling apart. Here everything seems alright, at least with the rest of the country. The politicians were always strange."  
" Charming. That Crowned Prince looks like such a sweet child. It would be a pity if he grew up to be like one of those nasty lords."  
" Would be a pity indeed. He's too smart to remain innocent for long. I can see it all now-the child will sit at the throne someday, the wheels of his mind turning, pondering on this and musing on that. He'll think himself to death."

" Ri De Xian Sheng!" a eunuch hurried in. " His Highness the Crowned Prince wishes you to go to his chambers now."

Yue paused, wondering if the eunuch thought it strange that a lion was at the couch, or maybe he didn't notice Kerberus. Kerberus wasn't moving, after all.

" Tell him I will come at once." Yue said quietly.  
" Yes Master Ri De." The servant bowed. Yue sighed. He had been called Ri Di Yue, Ri De Yue, Rei De Yue. No one really knew what his name was because " Reed" was not easily pronounced in Chinese.

  
  
Why did the Crowned Prince call him over?

To play a board game.

It happened to be their favorite pasttime, Wei Chi. The Chinese, the noble ones anyway, could often be found playing the game with their guests while discussing random matters, sometimes gossiping, sometimes political issues. 

The prince was bored.

" In truth, my teacher has not been here for many days, for he is home sick." Julan answered Yue's cocked eyebrow. " There is really nothing much to do here other than idle games. Come, talk to me as we play. I suppose there is more to tell of your country."

Yue pulled the chair and sat down.

" White stones or black?" Julan asked.  
" I'm afraid I'm not an expert at this game."  
" Your country does not have this game." Julan paused. It was a statement, not a question. " However, I suppose your country is not so far advanced as to not have some sort of pasttime we can cope with."

Yue thought about the board game that Clow Reed use to play with him.

" As a matter of fact, I do." Yue answered. Julan cocked an eyebrow at the word " I" but said nothing. Yue continued. " It's similar to yours. We use a wooden board with wooden figures. However, we don't call it Weichi."  
" What is it called? I would like to learn it."  
" It is called ' Chess'."

  
  
Julan learned fast, but he wasn't able to beat Yue that easily. At first they played with relative silence, save for the prince asking questions about the game. Then, as the child understood more of it, the tension eased.

" I apologize for the behavior of my older brother the other day." Julan said solemnly. " He usually isn't so protective. Though his mind is slow, he has good instincts. I doubt he sensed evil in you, just relative power, or perhaps he was slightly jealous of you."

Yue paused. " He's a good boy with a kind heart."  
" Most idiots are." Julan said, his eyes pained. " He is lucky to be a fool. When the lords rebel, he will be the last one they kill, if they ever kill him at all. Even Second Royal Brother is liable to be murdered."  
" You will be the first."  
" Aye."  
" But why such thoughts?" Yue asked, suddenly getting a strong sense that this child has a severe case of melancholia. " You are young, and your father is healthy. As long as he is in control, you are protected."

Julan smiled at him. " You think I am insane. Depressed. Very well then. If in your country, the government is just and kind, then your country is the Heaven that dead spirits venture to. Here, our family is different." Julan sat back. " Have you ever heard stories of princes who wish to be normal peasants?"  
" I find it rather unrealistic."  
" It is uncommon, however it's very much real. Have you ever wondered why?"

Yue paused. " They want to be normal."  
" Exactly." Yue thought Julan was too smart to need advisors. " Here the princes and princesses do not even feed off the milk of their mothers. They feed of the milk of some woman who had a child at that time. Lord knows what the real mothers do with their milk. But the whole outcome is that mother and child are no longer as close. Centuries ago there was the fifth Emperor of the Han Dynasty, his name was Liu Che, like my brother. He was passed down as Han Wu Di, the War Emperor of the Han. It was said that he was a good Emperor, lived until he was sixty or so. But his grandmother, his grandmother, oh what a character she was! She was strong in politics and was very ambitious. When Han Wudi was to become Emperor she tried to have him assasinated so her other son could be Emperor and she could remain in power. That failed, of course, and she tried to steal Han Wudi's power. His uncles hated him. His mother was a fool. The royal family is worked on distrust and intelligence. If you're weak and idiotic, like my First Royal Brother, you're lucky, because you are safe to adore. Me, aye, they will never truly love. You can't love when you're the Son of Heaven. You have to be able to torture without gnashing your teeth in empathy. You have to be able to kill without flinching. Kill innocent people, even, simply to save the rest of mankind. _That _is why princes want to become peasants."

Yue found it odd that this child was so different from the one he first met. Perhaps the child was sick. He's far to young to think such dismal thoughts. Somewhere deep inside him shattered as he watched the boy.

" I dream," The child said suddenly, " That the world under the sky will be in a state of chaos, and I will die with you by my side."

A premonition! Yue paused. " When?" He asked.  
" Years from today." The prince had a dazed look. " The sky would be red from the burning of Loyang. The eunuchs would rise and kill those they hate. It is near the end of the Han, Yue.

The eunuchs will choose the Emperor they deem incompetent. Each passing year the emperor will grow younger, and each one will be killed. Until at last, when one dies and leaves two sons, the lords will rise against each other, and so will come from normal civilians, many heroes of their day, and they will fight for the throne, fight for the Han, but it would be too late. Until at last the country will be divided into three kingdoms, and the battles will rage on until one man unites them all to form a new dynasty."

Yue moved his bishop. " What do you make of this dream?"  
" You are the prophet, Master Yue. What do you think?"

Yue was silent. 

" You think it will come to pass." The prince regarded him with young eyes full of wisdom. 

Yue remained silent.

Julan moved his last knight. He killed the bishop. " My servants say that you have a lion in your quarters." The prince grinned. " And they heard you talking with a stranger. No doubt this lion is also some kind of magical creature?"

The question caught Yue by surprise. Of course that stupid eunuch saw Kero.

" He's..."  
" Lately I've been having other dreams." Julan continued. " Ones that are not so melancholic. Really lighthearted, actually. They involve this man,"

There was a long pause as the prince considered his situation on the chessboard. 

" He wore odd things over his eyes. Occasionally I heard the word ' spectacles'. Are those what they called?"

It was odd, because the prince did not say the word in Chinese, but he bore no accent when he spoke it.

" I suppose." Yue answered. " It depends on who this man was."  
" I think you know him." Julan answered. " My dreams were always prophetic, and you and a strange lion were major characters. In addition, of course, to a red-headed girl and a black panther with butterfly wings-a truly ridiculous combination."

Yue ignored the insult to his fellow guardian. " Who was this man?"  
" He called-well, you called him ' Master Reed'." Again, Julan spoke without an accent. " I believe he introduced himself as Clow Reed to another one similar to him. The lion was named Ker something and the girl was named Ruby."

Yue moved his pawn. " What do you make of it?"  
" I think there's something you're not telling me." The prince answered. He held out his right hand. " The cards?"

  
  
Everyday the Emperor has a meeting with the lords of the cabinet. They live either near or in Chang'an, because it's extremely convenient there. The lords from the rest of the country will send news and issues by messenger to one or other of the members of the cabinet, who would in turn, present such worries to the Emperor.

The method was effective, actually, because though all lords were selfish and greedy they weren't greedy to the point of neglecting messages, and the Emperor was strong. The lords were never late-unless they were really sick, and the Emperor rarely was absent unless he, too, was sick.

In any case, such meetings were important, even if they were ritualistic, and normally don't involve children. So the Crowned Prince Liu Julan was extremely surprised when his father popped up in front of his chambers that morning, telling him he planned to take him to the meeting.

Julan didn't protest that much. He was actually very excited. He dressed his best and was able to sit right behind his father during the court. 

Meiling's dog, unfortunately, wasn't quite so cooperative, and somehow ended up in the middle of the room that day, barking at the more elderly lord. Half of the lords wanted to slay and eat it for lunch, because pretty much everyone in the court was really annoyed at it, except for Meiling and perhaps Julan.

The dog was finally gotten rid of, and the court resumed to end later than usual because of the unexpected interruption. The next day the dog was served for the elderly lord to dine on.

  
  
Meiling cried in Che'er's chambers for over two hours. Yue knew this because Kero, resolving to staying small, had gone over especially to spy on her.

" She'll be fine. She'll get over it like any child would."  
" I can't believe they ate the dog." Yue shook his head. " That creature was just stupid, nothing more."  
" The Chinese, you know, weren't really fond of dogs." Kero pointed out. " Dogs never served them loyally like they did back home. And that dog was the worst example of all canines. It's natural that, if you can't use a dog, you might as well eat it."

Yue did not find the statement humorous. 

" It's a good thing the prince didn't decide to use the cards or keep them."  
" He's a kind-hearted lad."  
" Smart too. It's hard to be both kind-hearted and smart when you're spoiled in the royal family."  
" He hardly is spoiled. I think the boy has depression. He's so melancholic."  
" I wouldn't be surprised, judging from the fact that his oldest brother's an idiot. Considering that the Emperor often marries his cousin, genetic diseases ought to be fairly common."  
" I doubt they know though. They're far too religious for that."  
" So are the people back home."  
" So are the people back home."

There was a long silence.

" The child is powerful." Kero said to Yue. " I think we should help him. He could easily fall to darkness like this, without help, without support."

Yue paused. " I want to help him." He answered. " In other ways too. Somehow he reminds me of Master Clow. And whatever other characteristics he may have, he still has an innocent aura about him. And such courage when facing his death..." 

Yue was lost in thought, but it did not matter because Kero did not answer. 


	4. Chapter 4

War of Magicians

The Birth of the Phoenix

Chapter 4

The prince's dreams did come to pass. Yue frowned. He doubted even Sakura had such power in her dreams.

The day was bright and sunny, unlike the day before. Syaoran came downstairs looking rather drowsy.

" You're lucky it's the weekend." Yue told Syaoran. " I didn't know you manage to sleep so late. From what Sakura tells me you're an early bird."  
" Why are you still in your true form?" Syaoran asked bluntly, obviously startled. Yue didn't answer.

" How did you sleep?"  
" Okay..."  
" You had nightmares."

Syaoran seemed taken aback. There was a difference between him and the prince after all, but no matter.

" Was I..."  
" Iie."

Syaoran frowned, puzzled. " I don't understand..."

Yue was silent for a long moment. He studied the child. This child had more innocence than the prince did. He was less wise, but by no means less intelligent. There was still the sad light in the child's eyes that had won Yue's heart so many centuries ago, and the look of frailness. When had he seen that on the prince? When that child was sleeping, dressed only in his inner garments, his hair pooling over his shoulders. But the long hair had made the prince seem less boyish then Syaoran.

" Come here." Yue said. Syaoran hesitated, and there seemed to be a flicker of uncertainty and fear in the child's eyes. Syaoran slowly approached.

" Syaoran." Yue commanded. The boy gulped, but went forward all the same, keeping his eyes focused on the guardian's every movement.  
" Closer." Yue said again. Syaoran took another step. He was right in front of the guardian now.

Yue ran his fingers slowly over Syaoran's head, around his cheek, under his chin. He studied the boy's face closely and wondered how he could have missed it for so long a time.

Syaoran broke down crying. He didn't know what Yue was doing, only that the guardian had a look on his face that frightened him, and he suddenly felt his vulnerability at its peak.

Seeing the tears, Yue bent down to the boy's level and gathered him in his arms.

_" Taizi, Taizi, Taizi, Taizi,_" He murmured, over and over again. Syaoran did not respond to the title.

  
  
Forbidden City was a grand sight, especially during the spring. Then the frozen stream would start flowing and grass will grow everywhere. Yue, however, was never quite interested in the old artifacts so much as the special site they planned where people could dress up as Emperor's and Empresses. They would take photographs and then change. 

" You were a great prince Julan." Yue sighed. " It's Heaven's will for you to be born at the wrong time."

" I'm only mortal." Syaoran's voice suddenly answered from behind him. Yue whipped around.  
" I thought you were sleeping."  
" Sleeping after that episode?" Syaoran's face was emotionless. " I did sleep a little, but it was uneasy. Tell me, who was Prince Julan, and why did you call me Crowned Prince?"

  
  
Hiriingaziwa looked up from the books with a stunned look on his face. On the page of one of the older books was a portrait of a child with long black hair pulled into a bun. The boy had large golden eyes, thick eyebrows, a small nose and mouth, with graceful features and noble stature.

His name was Liu Julan, also called Liu Sheng, St. Baojin, Mystic Prince, and Amber Child. He was said to be even smarter than Zhuge Liang, the wisest man of the Han Dynasty, if it weren't for the fact that the child had died far younger than his late Han counterpart. 

The enchanters, sorcerers, and clerics-magicians of the time, had ignored the royal families of the world until then because they felt no threat. They started paying attention to Julan's eldest brother, but when they found him completely useless, turned their attention to Julan. 

Whatever threat they felt, they killed the prince for it.

Could it be though...

Could it be that the boy....

  
  
_" Clow Reed died at the age of a hundred and ten, an old age for someone of his time." _Yue was looking at the feather on the table. _" Three days after his death we guardians moved out of the country and towards the east."_

All of this was said in Mandarin, and Syaoran was astonished to find there was no accent.__

" Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun settled in the eastern part of Russia. There they discovered that there was more than one type of magic. In Russia they found the wizards, a type of magician that is weaker than us, but immortal and are the bearers of wisdom. Kerberus and I continued south, reaching the Mongolians and borrowing their horses, fleet and strong, to finally arrive in China."  
  
Syaoran looked at his own feather in silence.  
_  
" All this ended after a few decades. Those we left behind died of old age. The world steadily changed around us. When we reached the capital of China, it was near the end of the Han Dynasty. By chance I met the Emperor Liu Li, the hero of his time."  
" Liu Li?" _Syaoran frowned. _" I know many Emperors of the Han Dynasty, but never have I heard of such a name. The last name is right, but the first...it sounds foreign. Perhaps after the revolution his history was lost..."  
" It was not communism that destroyed his place in history." _Yue answered._ " It was his son."  
" His son..."_

Yue turned to the child he had once loved so many years ago. _" His son's name was Liu Julan, but his friends call him Xiao Lang..."  
_  
" You're kidding. Li Syaoran is..." Ruby Moon sputtered,  
" If he isn't, then let the world fall to pieces." Eriol groaned. " But this cannot bode well for us. First the Card Mistress, with her cards, then Clow's other half, but then we have to find some way to hide him from other magicians."  
" Clerics are no threat. They surely wouldn't do anything to harm him, if they don't protect him either, but the enchanters , and other sorcerers, they serve as a threat."  
" Did the enchanters hurt the prince, Eriol-sama?" Spinel Sun asked.  
" The books don't say." Eriol frowned. " Little was known about the child's life, ever since a spell was used to erase his father and himself from history. Less was known of how he died."  
" What period exactly did the child live in?" Spinel asked.  
" Somewhere around the end of the Han Dynasty." Eriol answered. " Before the ten eunuchs took over."  
" Yue and Kerberus were in China during that time. They never did tell us what happened-they just went into the Clow Book. Maybe they can tell us something?"  
" Doubtful. Chances are Yue only wandered among them as a normal human. The royal family is set apart from the rest of the Hans."  
" Just maybe though..." Ruby answered grimly.

  
  
There were two types of nymphs-water nymphs and wood nymphs. Divided among these were sea nymphs, river nymphs, lake nymphs for the water, and mountain nymphs and forest nymphs for the wood.

In general there weren't that many in the world, and they were all so well hidden even elves can't find them. They weren't that powerful, they weren't that wise, they weren't, in general, particularly useful, but their existence was of immense importance because they were one of the few creatures where their every movement controls Fate. 

This being so, it's even more important that they should not have any contact with other creatures, be it man or beast, and Nature, granting this, made them so that they do not wish to have any. However, being that the Phoenix was also linked to Fate, that night the nymphs made their appearance in Tomoeda.

It didn't exactly mean well for the town, because both water and wood were masters of erosion. It was of great luck for Syaoran that he happened to be in Yukito's house and not in his own apartment, because that night the entire building collapsed. Countless were wounded, more than ten were dead, and all that had died were on Syaoran's floor.

  
  
_" The first time I met him he was a child." _Yue looked at Syaoran. _" He was in the courtyard with his cousin Lady Meiling and half brother Liu Che."  
" Liu Che. Liu Che was the fifth Emperor of China. Han WuDi, we call him, because he was the Emperor of the Han and was also great in military arts. Why name another Liu Che?"  
" I do not know."  
" And Meiling...Meiling's my cousin also."  
" She is. During that dynasty she was the Lady, also called the Princess, because she could often be seen with the princes. By and by people forgot that she was no longer royalty."  
" That's mighty odd."  
" It is. When I first saw you," _Yue had changed to address Syaoran directly, _" You were practicing sword-fight with your half-brother Che'er. You won repeatedly, shouting nonsense and laughing. You didn't see me until later."  
" How did I see you?"  
" Your father ordered you to come meet me. You asked me to tell you about Europe."  
" Did you tell?"  
" Of course I did."  
" Did the prince like it?"  
" I don't know."  
" Do you really think I am...the prince?"_

Yue pulled the child to an embrace again. _" You can be no other."_

  
  
There were two types of enchanters-one from the east, and one from the west. The eastern enchanters were far older in general and carry more wisdom than the western ones, and were also more powerful and more experienced. However, the eastern enchanters were so rare because of the mass attack led by the Lord Leoden of the Clerics so many years ago.

Ever since the enchanters was reported to kill the Lady Trilinar of the Clerics, the two magicians had been at war. At first the enchanters kept denying it, but the clerics, though immortal, were quite foolish and hasty in judging. By and by, both races forgot the reason for the rivalry and simply fought out of need for bloodshed. Even the clerics, so famous for their knowledge and wisdom, failed to live up to the world's expectations. Upon the identification of the famous Prince Julan's reincarnation, both races rapidly charged towards the the world of the sorcerers.

  
  
Sorcerers, being mortal, did not understand the meaning of their arrival. Only Clow Reed knew, for he was wise enough to transfer his memories into his younger reincarnation. Eriol was the first to greet both enchanter and cleric that night, though his welcome wasn't extremely warm.

" Who stands there?!" Eriol called, his guardians by his side, though all three knew very well who the cloaked figures were. The clerics were the first to arrive, and they could easily be identified with their gleaming and pale swords, for they were not the same as priests and much of their magic came from their art of sword and arrow. In this sense, Eriol mused, the wolf boy is a lot like a cleric. Yet then again, Julan had dealings with clerics. And enchanters.

" Who are you?" a cold voice asked. Eriol did not falter.  
" I am the native of the land you now stand." He answered. " Speak now, or I'll resolve to more violent manners."

Did the cleric think he had a point? Eriol was prepared for battle, but the cleric spoke.

" We, sorcerer, are the clerics from yonder. We come to seek the prince."  
" There are no princes to seek." Eriol answered coldly. " The prince you speak of died many a year ago."  
" Yes, he did. But his soul remains." The cleric stepped into the moonlight. " Hand him over, or there will be fire as never before."

Eriol glared at them. " It is not your place to speak thus to me. I am Clow Reed, Creator of the Clow Cards, Master of Elements. I am a great friend, and an even greater enemy. We sorcerers will not let you trespass so."

There was a moment silence where the cleric seemed to contemplate Eriol's words. Eriol waited.

" We want only the prince. Nothing more."  
" The prince is my descendant. I will not let him go without reason."

The cleric's eyes turned cold again. " The prince may be your descendant, but he is not in your control. You mortals are powerless to stop us."  
" You do not comprehend the extent of our power." Eriol answered. " You may have killed many in the past, but now we are all stronger."  
" We have strengthened as well. 'Tis no surprise." The cleric answered.

Just then, there was a cry, and a beam of light crashed to the ground, ending with a puff of smoke. Eriol stepped back as the enchanters intervened. The clerics and enchanters began to fight.

The child magician sighed and turned around, gesturing to his guardians to retreat. The enchanters came just in time to ruin everything for the clerics. They moved away from the scene. The cleric were right about one thing-the sorcerers were powerless to stop them, save the prince, who in the end drove them back to their homeland but in the process lost his life.

" Hurry. We have to warn the boy." Eriol told Ruby Moon. " It doesn't matter about the Card Mistress now-if the child dies again worse things could happen."

  
  
" Yue!" Syaoran froze. " They're here."  
" I know." Yue stood up. " I sense them too."  
" Who are they after? Sakura?"  
" Sakura is nothing to them."  
" Me then? Is it the feather? Should we get rid of it?"  
" Iie! The feather was what kept you alive for as long as you did. Do not worry, I might not be a match in battle for them, but as long as I take to the air they cannot catch me. Right now I think they caught the attention of several other magicians in the area. Stay put."

Still, Syaoran could tell the guardian was extremely tense. He clutched his shirt, or rather Yukito's shirt. 

" Should we warn Sakura?"  
" We'll need her help." Yue answered surprisingly. " And Kaho's as well. Hurry, make the phone call. I'm keeping watch."

Syaoran moved over to the phone. He was nervous. After that episode with Yue, he didn't know what to believe anymore, except that there was danger and that was really really real.

" Moshi moshi?" A gruff voice asked.  
" Get Sakura. Now. No time to explain, only tell her to come over to Yukito's house. Now."  
" Gaki?"  
" No time!" Syaoran hung up just as the auras came nearer. Yue covered the child's body with his own as the door exploded in a blast of splinters. Syaoran shrieked, terrified, his scream muffled only by Yue's warm clothes. The guardian looked up.

It was a boy with glasses. Eriol Hiriingaziwa, who at first looked strickened, but then a look of relief spread across his face.

_So the guardian does know the prince. _He thought to himself. _Yue wouldn't even treat Sakura that way._

" Who are you?" Yue asked harshly. He better not be one of those sorcerers...

Eriol thought quickly. This sudden intervention had spoiled his plans entirely, but his plans cannot be compared to this. " I am your master, Yue of the Clow Cards, for my spirit is that of Clow Reed. You need not fear me. Ruby Moon, Spinel Sun."

At the sight of his comrades Yue relaxed. He released his hold on Syaoran and walked over to his fellow guardians.

" Ruby Moon." He said in English. " It has been a long time. Spinel Sun."  
" No time for introductions." Spinel said apologetically. " Get the prince out of Japan as soon as possible. Wait for us in Chang'an. Sakura and Kerberus would catch up with you later."  
" But Chang'an's not what it use to be! And I'm not even sure I can find it..."  
" Then wait for us in Forbidden City. Tell me you know where that is. It's huge, it's in the north, and it's filled with ancient buildings and paintings. Get into the main building of the city. Hurry." Eriol answered. " I'll have to face the clerics and enchanters. We'll tell Kaho and Sakura to go to Forbidden City. Fret not."

_Clerics?_ Syaoran thought. _Aren't they healers?_

Yue, stunned and too stupified to do anything else, grabbed Syaoran, who was equally surprised, and flew out the window in a speed faster than he had ever flown before. The sky seemed to stretch endlessly above him as Yue gained altitude, and he looked down to see half of Tomoeda completely destroyed. Several streets were flooded while buildings were covered with moss and grass. Yue did not ponder long, for he continued flying south. The air rapidly grew thinner. The child clung to Yue in dizziness. 

" Cold." The child whispered. Yue wrapped his arms tightly around Syaoran. He could only fly so fast. " Hold on _Taizi._ Hold on."

Sakura sighed. " How am I supposed to do anything if the cards don't listen to me, Kero chan?"

Touya was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. " Care to explain why the stuffed animal should answer you, kaijuu?"  
" Because I'm not a stuffed animal." Kero answered. Touya did not seem startled. " But you know, they should answer to you even more, since you're the mistress now. I wonder what could be wrong..."

_The wand..._ Sakura stared at her wand. _The wand's changed, the book's changed, the only thing that had not changed was the cards..._

Eriol turned. " Card Mistress! Fly south away from Japan! Take your guardian with you!"

Sakura blinked. Kerberus growled.  
" Do as he says!" The guardian shouted at her. " Those are elves and wizards! You won't stand a chance!"

The wizards turned upon her. Sakura stepped back in alarm. Kerberus seized her and took to the air before the wizards could react.

" Kero, what are you doing?" Sakura shrieked.  
" We have to do as he says!" Kero shouted back. " That guy's the reincarnation of Clow Reed!"  
" Nani?!" Sakura shouted, but they had left Honshu already, and was flying like sound towards North Korea. The aura of the clerics and enchanters faded behind them. Sakura looked down and shuddered. It's so cold up here... 


	5. Chapter 5

War of Magicians

The Birth of the Phoenix

Chapter 5

It had been three months. The Emperor chose this time to fall ill. The Empress was incapable and the Emperor's mother had died several weeks ago.

The princes mourned for their grandmother's passing as was expected, but none more than Julan, being that he was the Crowned Prince, had to take over the court until his father recuperated.

Yue, whose life was leisurely, was taking care of the Emperor, using various western medicines to bring the Emperor back to health. It was one of those cases where Clow Reed's journal finally proved itself useful to the guardian. Yue had a hunch that Clow knew this when he wrote it in his will.

From the accounts of the eunuchs and several lords that Yue had the privilege to be acquainted with, the cabinet cooperated well with the Crowned Prince despite his age. The prince was a natural leader, treating his subjects with the respect required and also with the dignity and power that was very becoming for a future Emperor.

Yue saw nothing of the prince for several weeks. The Emperor, steadily getting better, brought him to his chambers to talk with him. Occasionally, the Emperor would ask Yue to give him a reading with his cards. Yue never found out whether his readings came true or not.

  
  
The hunt was a special occasion. The entire court gathered in the grand hills and several small deer were released. The Emperor, sitting at his ' throne', watched as his sons took turns shooting arrows.

Xiao Lang was not the best at firing arrows. The real gifted archer was Che, who was able to catch each deer through the neck while Xiao Lang sometimes shot into the side. 

" You aim for the neck, shagua." Che whispered. " It's the fastest way to kill them."  
" First, I'm not an idiot, second, I am aiming for the neck, third, I know it's the fastest way to kill them."  
" Yeah. Sure."  
" Hey, not everyone has your sharp eyes."

  
Che didn't answer. 

" Huh?" Julan looked ahead. Then he saw it.

She was the strangest creature. And there were others with her. She was tall and slim, with dark, deep green eyes without any whites. Her hair was golden, yellow as corn, and her skin was fair. She was clothed in green, green satin, and there were leaf wreaths around her hair and neck.

" That's a fairy."  
" You sure that's a fairy."  
" She's not Chang'e after all. Too green."

Julan studied the strainge creatures. He could sense something odd about them. He frowned.

" That's no fairy." He whispered to Che.  
" Then what is she? And the others with her?"

The creature, whatever she was, suddenly lunged towards the princes. Julan dodged and hit her with his bow. She dodged with lightning speed and attacked him. Julan, faster than he had ever moved before, leaped over the rail and into the grass, rolling over to his feet. He heard a twanging of a bow and the creature stumbled. Blood, the color of green tea, oozed out of her wound where the feathered arrow had struck. 

Suddenly there was a rain of arrows. Julan cursed, hoping that he would be lucky enough so that he wouldn't be shot as well. Someone shouted his name and Julan rapidly turned. It was a general. There were soldiers about him. Julan did a somersault and landed within the circle of soldiers. They all had their swords out.

The girl, or whatever she was, remained standing, though unsteady, and her comrades, whatever they were, circled around her. They began waving their arms, a most amusing and fascinating spectacle if it weren't for the fact that branches and vines were coming out of the ground in the direction of their movements. And all of them were directed at Xiao Lang.

Julan dodged the scattering green vines and prayed deep in his heart that Lao Tian Ye, if he exists, would have pity on him.

  
  
" Did you sense that?"

Of course Yue sensed it. The aura, green with a smell of rainforests mixed with the salt of the sea, was as apparent as the sun in the sky. He wasn't sure what to make of this new introduction at first.

" Perhaps we should check it out."  
" Stay in your false form."  
" I'm not an idiot, Yue." Kero looked almost indignant. " Come, we never know if there could be danger."

  
  
Li was in panic. His son, his most beloved son, was attacked by she-demons, and there was no obvious way to stop it. So far his son had done a good job of dodging the vines, and running to safety, but safety was not permanent. In fact, there was no safety. Li almost wanted to run out there himself to protect his child.

Then...there he was. That prophet, that card reader. He paused, staring at the scene, before hurrying over in front of the prince. Li frowned. What was he doing?

  
  
Yue held the book tightly in his hands, the stuffed animal behind his back, hidden from view. He concentrated on his aura, allowing it to expand to its full power. The nymphs hesitated, obviously surprised to find a magician in this area.

" I am Yue, Guardian of the Cards of Clow Reed, also called Angel of the Moon, also called the Ultamite Judge of Masters. You have trespassed land that is not yours. Leave peacefully, or your doom is at hand."

No one could possibly have understood what Yue just said except the nymphs, hopefully, because first they don't look Chinese, Mongol, Manchu, or otherwise, and second, he wasn't speaking in Chinese, very obviously.

The nymphs hesitated again. Yue almost wanted to smirk. His master was well-known, then. Perhaps he could use it to his advantage.

The prince, who was behind him, moved to his side.

" Yue, who are they?" He whispered. Yue gently ushered him back. Nymphs were always notoriously unpredictable.

The nymphs shifted. Yue recognized that move.

_Damn._ He thought, and even that curse wasn't enough. The nymphs attacked.

The first thing Yue did was raise a shield. It's a dumb thing to do, because soon the vines began wrapping around it, trapping him and the child inside. Yue wondered what he should do. Fire. Fire fire fire fire fire fire-

" Firey!" He shouted. The card, without a true master, listened to the guardian, and burned at the vines and the nymphs, who screeched. The water nymphs drowned out the flames. Yue, realizing he had no time, decided to just risk it all, and grabbing the prince he took to the air.

  
  
Xiao Lang clung on to the man in dear life. Yue chuckled at the child's fear, and wrapped his arms tighter around the boy to give him a feeling of security.

" What in the world are you?" Xiao Lang asked.  
" I am the Spirit of the Moon." There were no angels in Chinese myths, Yue recalled, and if there were they would surely be demons. He hoped he wouldn't get himself killed through this.

" Yue, are you mad?!" Kero shouted at his shoulder. " Taking off just like that? You'll hear the talk of everyone in the country!"  
" Those were nymphs, Kerberus." Yue flapped his wings. " I'm taking him into the deserts. He should be fine there."  
" The deserts? Are you mad?"  
" I'm not mad. They're nymphs! And there were twelve of them at least. Do you really expect me to deal with them all? And if you appear, there would be the same results. I might as well prove myself to take better care of the child."

The prince, having no idea who Yue was talking to or what he just said, thought the guardian had gone mad and looked beneath him in horror. Yue looked back.

" Devils Eye," He muttered in his own language, " I never knew nymphs could fly."  
" They never needed to." Kero answered. " But I think this is persistent, even for them. Why would they want the prince so much?"  
" Remember his aura?"  
" Still, it's not like-"  
" He's a child, he lacks training, he lacks protection. Only now, I'm his protector, and they don't like it."  
" Yue, who are you talking to?" Julan finally couldn't stand it. Yue looked at Kero.

" Ni hao ma?" Kero grinned. The prince, shocked, paled miserably, and Yue rubbed the boy's back briefly before diving.

This earned him a scream. The child clung onto Yue as if someone was torturing him. Yue heard whimpers and sobs and held the child's head with his right hand, doing whatever he could to offer some feeling of security.

" You might want to burrow a little into the sand." Kero suggested. " They don't like sand-it's too hot for them in the desert, and after about an hour of circling where you're buried they should leave."  
" An hour of circling?" Yue asked, bewildered, while still diving sharply. " What is the child going to breath? Sand? He'll suffocate, and I'll expose myself for nothing."  
" Use the cards, Yue. You're always so cocky about how smart you are. What happened today?"

Yue dove.

" The trouble is, we can't hurt them-they're nymphs. They can hurt us, we're guardians. The child can't stay down there forever-he's a boy."  
" How about this?" Kero suggested, " I go somewhere else and look for allies. You stay until I come."  
" And just _how _will I know you're back?" Yue asked.  
" You'll know." Kero darted off. Yue pulled out a card and he saw the sand part beneath him as he dove in. The sand closed over him, but it did not cover him or the child.

The tunnel was cool. Yue pulled out a card and the place was dimly lit by the Light Card, who studied the child curiously. Julan, just as curious, stared back at her, and the card laughed, delighted with the child. The prince looked at Yue, obviously shakened, but manage to recover some of his dignity to ask " What just happened?" without trembling.

Secretly respecting the child for his courage and steady mind, Yue sighed.

" The creatures that were attacking you were called nymphs."  
" Nymphs."  
" They are old creatures, the bringers of life on this planet. They cannot be killed, but they were always rather simple. I don't know why they're after you." _I'm not _sure _why they're after you._

" They were using magic."  
" They were."  
" Why did you bring me here?"   
" They don't like areas of little life."

Xiao Lang sat down silently.

" Are you afraid?" Yue asked gently.  
" Of course I'm afraid."  
" Don't be."

Xiao Lang looked up at him. " I barely know you."  
" I don't know you either."  
" What are you?"  
" My name's Yue. I'm a guardian."  
" A guardian?"  
" Of a magic item. Or items." Yue pulled out the book. 

Xiao Lang stared at the book. " I think I'm overwhelmed. Don't tell me anything until we get back. If we get back."  
" Of course we will." Yue answered. _If worst comes to worst, chances are _you _might be the one to get us out._

  
  
The palace was in complete chaos. The Emperor fainted from shock, the Empress had a nervous breakdown, and the princes and princesses, lords and ladies, soldiers and staff were in complete confusion.

There were legends, many legends, of demons and warriors, immortals and deities, but even if they were believers, it's hard to believe it when they saw it with their own eyes. 

Lin, completely not understanding what was going on, had a sense that something had happened to his little brother. He was too simple to understand what the others were saying, but he knew, deep in his heart, that all the fuss, all the commotion, was because of his Xiao Lang.

Yujin frowned and growled at the servants, having little option to do anything else to express his frustration. He knew he was simple. He knew everyone was smarter than him. He loved Julan and he knew he was in trouble, but he also knew he was powerless to help him. Then a thought came to him. That white haired albino.

All of the sudden everything became clear for him. Yujin stood up. It was that man. That man stole his brother away, it has to be it, because his brother's not here and neither was that foreigner. Then, he sat down, depressed. Being mentally disabled had caused him to have nearly no power at all. He would not be able to retrieve his brother nor punish his kidnapper.

His mind a complete blank, his heart filled with hate and grief, he broke to weeping.

  
  
" Yue."

The guardian turned to the child sitting at the wall. " Yes?"

" I'm thirsty."

The child said it very calmly, but Yue knew he had endured the thirst for a long time.

How long had they been down here? Two days? Of course the child would be thirsty. Yue was reluctant to leave the boy here though.

" Can you hang on for a moment longer?" Yue asked softly. " Is it really bad?"

Xiao Lang nodded.

Yue sighed. Now what was he going to do? Kero was taking a long time. Then he thought for a moment.

" Water Card."

Xiao Lang sank back, having drank the magic water. Yue watched the boy fall into an exhausted slumber. The Light Card had dimmed for the child, giving him a frail look.

Yue picked up Xiao Lang's bow and examined it. It was light, made for the prince's age, and slightly smaller than a normal bow, but the prince was stronger than most children, so it was rather heavy.

Yue studied the sleeping child. One day this boy will become an Emperor. He will wear the black dragon robes and the crown with dangling beads. The royal stamp will be in his hand. He will stand tall at the court, intimidating the selfish lords. When he fails all lords would reach to him, beg him to remain well.

One day this child would rule the Earth beneath the Sky.

It's ironic, because there were incompetent princes, but there were no ugly princes, or retarded princes, physically handicapped princes, in all of history that Yue had known of China. The various Emperors were always blessed with many sons, some dying, some executed, but never was there such a ridiculous situation as this. All the princes, including Liu Che, who the adults of the court knew would not survive many years because of some mysterious spiritual disease, had some problems that prevent them from the throne. All save Xiao Lang.

It seemed Fate had placed the royal stamp in his hands even before he was born.

The child was destined for greatness anyway, Emperor or not. Even if he had been a peasant, he would still have accomplished great deeds. Yue marveled at the child. It seemed for the first time he had set eyes on a true idol of a child. For the first time he was able to see the fate of another person as Clow Reed had. He had no idea it was so clear.

_What is taking Kero so long?_

  
  
" You want _us_ to go with you against _nymphs?_ Don't get us wrong, but nymphs are pretty...difficult. They're not powerful, they're just hard to get rid of, and we guardians won't stand a chance."  
" Yue's under sand with the prince. Literally. And if we don't hurry up, the prince might die of thirst, even if Yue grows enough brains to use the water card." Kero hoffed at Ruby Moon.  
" What do you want us to do?" Spinel asked. " We can't hold them off. We can't intimidate them."  
" Don't you know any magicians around here?" Kero asked breathlessly. Time was running short.

Ruby and Spinel glanced at each other. There was a long silence.

" Take me to them." Ruby said to Kero, as Spinel transformed and flew out into the open air. 


	6. Chapter 6

War of Magicians

The Birth of the Phoenix

Chapter 6

Forbidden City was a gigantic place surrounded by walls. There were gates surrounding it, but at this time all of them were closed. There were few cars driving along the Tiananmen Square, which was the side Yue had landed on, and guards stood, stiff as a statue, at every gate.

The guards, serious as they were, did not see Yue fly into the city, lights and all. Inside the protective walls the city was quiet. The tourist hours were long over, and there was a sense of death in the air, ancient and cold, emitting from the buildings that had been destroyed and rebuilt over the ages.

Syaoran, blinking at his surroundings, remained silent for a long while as they waited. An eerie breeze blew across the ghostly city. 

" Can we go inside?" He asked finally."  
" Of course. I was only afraid Sakura won't be able to find us."  
" She will. It's practical this way. If the clerics follow us we'd be out in the open. Not a good place to be."

The beds were old and smelled old and dry. Syaoran thought the bed felt hard. But the covers were warm.

He didn't want to sleep, but it seemed once entering the chambers all his exhaustion piled upon him, making him drowsy. Yue had insisted he should rest and after a few minutes of bickering Syaoran had relented.

There was something familiar about the bed. Syaoran remembered lying in this position with Yue right beside him, but it couldn't be possible. The bed was never this hard. The pillows were never this high. Yet he could remember, lit in candlelight, a room just like this one, with curtains over the bed and servants coming-

Servants?

There was a small creak. Syaoran focused. It was Sakura's aura. He pretended to be asleep.

" Eriol-kun told me what happened." Sakura said almost breathlessly. " Syaoran-kun, are you alright?"

Syaoran did not answer. His eyes remained closed, his breathing even. Sakura was silent for a long while.

" What do we do now?" Kero asked.  
" I don't know." Yue shrugged. " Pray for the best. The last time this happened Syaoran only survived for a short time."  
" But we're prepared now, aren't we?" Kero asked hopefully. " Kid, I know you're not asleep-"  
" Let him rest Kerberus he doesn't want to talk right now." Yue interrupted, laying his hand on the boy's arm to reassure him. " He's strangely tired today and yesterday. I wonder what's wrong."  
" He was getting tired during the end," Kero said thoughtfully. " Though I believe that this is just a state of unhealthiness."

Yue and Sakura stared at the guardian.

" He's unnaturally thin." Kero defended himself.

Syaoran chose this moment to sit up.

" I am not malnutritioned, Kero." Syaoran answered. " There is something called stress. It's not especially fattening. It comes from the Japanese style of education."  
" As if Chinese education weren't stressful either." Kero muttered.  
" We certainly were allowed to write stories instead of just memorize." Syaoran muttered, " Memorize this! Memorize that! But that's besides the point. The point is the schools were just so strict with grades and what school you get into. But how long are we staying here? The old smell isn't comforting."  
" It isn't." Yue agreed thoughtfully. " Clow mentioned Kaho. I do believe she's coming here as well."  
" How? Drive a flying car?" Syaoran sniffed. " I doubt Kaho can fly or move like that anyway. It's too dark in here. We ought to light a few candles-if we have any, anyway."

There were old candles but they were old. Yue wasn't sure if they would light. Kero melted some of them but the room was significantly brighter.

" What the heck am I going to do in school?" Sakura muttered.  
" What are _we _going to do?" Syaoran shuddered. " Your brother would notice if he hadn't already, and your father, lord knows..._tamade._" He muttered.

Sakura stared at him, puzzled, then figured it was probably a statement like her " Hanyan" or " Hoe". Syaoran stood up.

" I get the feeling we're going to be here for a long time." Syaoran said quietly. " And I think it's better we stay in one place. But what should we do?"

They were quiet. Yue looked at the former prince.

" Oh look." Syaoran blinked. " Is that Go I see there?"

The board game was lying against the table. Two pots filled with stones lied right next to it.

Yue looked at Syaoran. " Do you still know how to play?"  
" Of course I do." Syaoran sniffed. " Though I'm not as good as Julan, probably. White stone or black stone?"  
" You always used white stones."  
" Then black stone it is."  
" What are you talking about?" Sakura asked.

  
  
If what Syaoran said was true about his abilities, then Yue was out of practice, because he was losing quite badly to Syaoran's ' Wicked schemes'.

Syaoran's white stones littered the board while Yue's black ones were pitifully scattered, one by one falling under Syaoran's white stones. Syaoran, his face straight, had a glitter in his eyes at Yue's pitiful attempts.

" You said you won a few."  
" I haven't played in a really long while."  
" Two thousand years?"  
" It's a long time to forget."

Syaoran sighed as he leaned back. " And I can't help you with that. You already got the black stone, and black stones go first. You already had the advantage."

Yue smiled sadly at Syaoran. The boy really was exactly like Julan. Syaoran noticed the nostalgic expression.

" After this, Yue," Syaoran attempted at humor, " Never call me ' Your Highness'."

To all of their surprise, Yue burst out laughing.  
" And what would you do, ' Your Highness', if I really did call you that?"  
" Then I will use those phoenix feathers to burn your hair." Syaoran smiled, pleased that he had cheered the guardian up.  
" Oh, believe me, I tried that." Kero piped in. " Yue's hair is still as long as ever, but you see those short strands?" He dodged as Yue went after him, " That's my doing."  
" Very fashionable." Syaoran observed.

Yue self-consciously felt his hair, uncertain how to act.

Sakura observed the scene with obvious amusement.

" I didn't know that was how your hair became that way." Syaoran continued.  
" It wasn't." Yue almost stammered, but Kero, who was right beside him, mouthed _Don't listen to that guy._

The sky cracked. Syaoran started.

" That didn't sound good."  
" That does not feel good." Kero agreed.  
" Clerics can't make lightning." Yue blinked. " Nor can clerics."  
" You know enchanters. They like a dramatic entrance." Kero said flatly. 

Syaoran cocked an eyebrow. Suddenly the ground shook. Yue looked towards the door.

The door swung open. Eriol walked in with Kaho.

" Where is he?" Eriol glanced at Syaoran. " Good."  
" Do you have anything in mind?" Syaoran asked calmly, and for a moment Yue had the impression that it was the prince in peasant's clothing. " I'm certain that if we stay here forever they're bound to find us."  
" I know. I'm afraid there's going to be a war over you, my little descendant. Right now we can't do anything until reinforcements come."

Syaoran ignored his title. " Just when would these _reinforcements _come?"  
" I don't know." Eriol answered apologetically."

Sakura had a strong feeling that Syaoran was less than impressed. 

" You would think," Syaoran began, " That under the circumstances I should learn a thing or two about offense and defense instead of just running away. I do have a conscious and I do not like others protecting me when I could protect myself. I can understand why this was not the case for Julan, but I am perfectly aware of magic and its existence and I intend on using it _if _you would bother telling me what you know of my powers."

Eriol seemed startled. This was certainly different from the Syaoran at school. This was the voice of royalty.

" I don't think that's a good idea," Yue said uncertainly. " You were unnaturally tired when I brought you here-" Syaoran silenced him witha look.  
" You are aware they sense magic at work when its active?" Eriol asked, though he knew he was being cornered.  
" That is no reason for me not to exercise it." Syaoran answered.

  
  
Eriol created a strong barrier all around Forbidden City. The guardians helped Syaoran waken his new powers, most of which include fire.

Syaoran sat down, a little tired from the work.

" No sight of them yet." Ruby called from one of the towers, safely hidden from the view of the guards.  
" We ought to move inside. Tourist hours are starting." Syaoran headed to one of the buildings. " I think if we stay here they won't see us. People rarely come to this section."

The room was old, and it smelled old. Syaoran sat on the humid bed and pulled his legs up underneath him.

They could hear the sounds of the tourists now from far away. Syaoran sighed and lied down. Sakura went to another bed.

The day passed uneventfully. No one came into the section. Syaoran read books that came from nowhere. Yue wondered where he found them if the archaeologists didn't already.

" This board was Julan's." Syaoran said unexpectedly.  
" How do you know?" Yue asked, successfully keeping the surprise out of his voice.  
" It says here in the book." Syaoran answered. " You wonder where I found it. Well, these books were Julan's too, until he died that is. The guy should have enchanted them somehow, being a sorcerer and all. Don't you agree?"

Trying not to be impressed, Yue did not answer.

Sakura sat down next to Syaoran.

" North...river...teacher...I give up." Sakura sighed. Syaoran laughed. It was his first laugh since he came to Forbidden City that was extremely lighthearted.  
" You ought to be able to read more than me. I'm not that good at traditional Chinese, and these were really really traditional. Though I daresay they didn't change much in two thousand years."  
" Calligraphy. Ah."  
" I know. It took the Chinese five thousand years to learn how to store ink into the pen. Took them even longer to learn that powder put into barrels shoot better than arrows."  
" And you still lost land to the British."  
" Aren't we intelligent?"

Sakura giggled.

" I heard that in middle school you would have to start learning calligraphy."  
" Really? I don't know. Oni-chan never told me."  
" Why not?"   
" He usually doesn't show me his homework. I don't bother him either. He does help me with mine though."

Syaoran suddenly fell silent.

Yue, entering the room, stopped at Syaoran's first question.  
" Wo jia men?"

Yue paused. " I doubt they will."  
" Is it possible?"  
" They're not that intelligent."  
" I hope not."  
" At least the clerics. The enchanters and clerics, I don't know. Perhaps. But they should be able to fend them off much easier."  
" What are you two talking about?" Sakura asked.  
" Nothing." Both of them answered.

Yue sighed. " Why are his stuff here?"  
" Perhaps because I'm here." Syaoran answered.  
" What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

This time, Syaoran decided to answer her.

" Julan's stuff is in Forbidden City, in this very room. He's supposed to live in Chang'an so they're not supposed to be here."  
" Oh."

Syaoran turned back to Yue. " Well?"

_Dear Yue,_

I write this to ask of you a great favor. Here at the borders of the great Han, unrest is arising. With the lasin board I have located the following sorcerers in this country. I have written my orders on the cloths you must have received. Take them to my Royal Father and ask him to press his seal on each of them, and I ask you to personally deliver each command to every sorcerer listed. They are required to defeat the clerics. My greatest appreciations for your labor.

Crowned Prince Julan

Eriol rolled up the scroll.

" He appears to have had a lasin board in his past life." Eriol frowned. " This is strange."

Ruby and Spinel were silent. Eriol frowned again.

" Where are they now?"  
" In the princess's bedroom." Ruby answered.  
" Ah." Eriol nodded. He said no more.

Spinel curled up on Eriol's armrest. " I'm sure things will turn out fine in the end."

Eriol remained silent.

  
  
_Dear Meiling,_

I have a strategy I need for you to partake in. When you hear the drums from the east, release your horses.

Royal Cousin Julan

" Bad move Yue."

Yue smiled. " I should have remembered that."  
" Your move."

Yue paused, studying the scene. He placed one stone on the wooden board. Syaoran laughed.  
" Are you trying to let me win?"  
" What do you mean?"

Syaoran pressed a stone down and took ten stones off the board, returning them to Yue.  
" How long do you plan for us to stay here?" Syaoran asked.  
" I don't know."  
" It's the same as that desert."  
" Gomen nasai."

Syaoran smiled. " Somehow I think experiences would help this time."

Yue looked more depressed than ever. Syaoran decided to keep quiet.

  
  
" Richard you bloody idiot of a magician, if you don't open this door now I'll blast it open!" Eriol shouted with each pound on the door. The door opened quickly, with the sorcerer in his pajamas.  
" Oh, it's you Eriol." The man shook the sleepiness out of his head. " What are you doing here? Aren't you testing the new Card Master? And what the bleeding hell was that all about?"  
" My apologies I know it's quite rude but this matter is urgent." Eriol answered, looking around him. He was pale and sweating. " Haven't you bloody sensed it yet?"  
" Sensed what?"  
" The magicians you idiot!"  
" What? Why are they here? Aren't they supposed to be in their own little worlds handling their own problems?" Richard asked, pushing his messy blonde hair out of his eyes.  
" Let me in." Eriol answered. Richard gestured inside and Eriol stepped in, leaning heavily on his staff to regain his breath.  
" Good Clow, where did you arrive from, mate?" Richard asked.  
" China, Forbidden City, locomoted one second ago."  
" Gee, that's a long trip mate. But that's no reason for you to look like this. You look like an asteroid hit ye."

Eriol sat down heavily. " I was training Li Syaoran."  
" Training? I didn't know you took apprentices Eriol."  
" I don't. I was protecting him. Set up a big shield. All around Forbidden City."  
" That's crazy! Why the bloody hell would you do that?"  
" He's the reincarnation of the Crowned Prince Julan from the Han Dynasty in China."

There was a long pause.

" Bloody hell..."  
" I know."

Eriol sighed, noting that he had cursed more in this conversation than he ever had in his life. Both himself and Richard, that is.

" So what do you want me to do?" Richard asked, still in his pajamas but retreating behind a door to change. " Do you want me to call up the others? I have some associates in France and in Germany, but as for the Americas, the Egyptians, and the Asians-that's up to whoever you have over there. Although I can contact a few summoners from ' Lower Egypt' but that's all." He came out.  
" That's better than I could ever hope, I assure you." Eriol answered. " Choose carefully though. I don't want this to be like last time. One of my guardians had close relations with the boy and if anything happens to the child from my recklessness I can promise you he will not hesitate to slice me into tiny bits and feed me to the dogs."  
" Really? I thought your guardians were all mighty loyal."  
" Were. Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun did not make too many connections in Russia-too few sorcerers there, but Kerberus and Yue now have a new mistress and Yue adored the prince deeply. Syaoran's also Clow Reed's descendant so I am partly responsible for his well being-he's not well right now though. From what Yue told me, Syaoran arrived to Forbidden City unnaturally tired and weak. Stubborn lad though, insisted on enhancing his magic."  
" Which was why you set up a shield around that blasted city, I assume."  
" Correct."  
" Who came?  
" Everything. Clerics. Clerics. Enchanters and enchantresses."  
" Half mortals?"  
" Well, I wouldn't know about that."  
" What about Linians?"  
" Those Atlantis freaks? I wouldn't know and I really really doubt it.. Besides, they're magic's too old now and too impure to detect."  
" They're still quite powerful."  
" They're also quite stupid. If they're on land, they're the ones with Down Syndrome and all the other mental retardation related diseases. If they're in water, there's no need to mention it."  
" Really?"  
" Haven't you read?"

Richard frowned.

" And what about the beastmasters?"  
" They were on Julan's side, from what the books say." Eriol answered.  
" What about the seers?"  
" They can't do anything about them. I haven't met any so far. They didn't come to Forbidden City."

There was a long pause.

  
  
" Aw good grief!" The Australian woman huffed, her brown hair damp and filled with dirt. " That was just fantastic!" She said sarcastically. " Encouraging a _dingo _of all things to drive a _cleric _away? Are you so willing to let the boy die early?"  
" It's not like we have a dragon here Martha." The beastmaster answered her. " The dingo's jaws are stronger than the vultures. And besides, I did send a vulture."  
" Hmph. I hope you know what you're doing. It's the Phoenix's Son we're talking about here."  
" I hope the sorcerers know what they're doing. We're not magicians."  
" Which is why we're dong what we can." The beastmistress groaned. " I hope the ones in Brazil are having more luck."

  
  
_Che'er,_

War is upon us. Flee now and don't worry about me. I have Yue here to protect me.

Yue set down the letter. So much for protecting the prince. He looked over at the child talking with his mistress. The sky began to get cloudy. It was going to rain. 


	7. Chapter 7

War of Magicians

The Birth of the Phoenix

Chapter 7

Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun followed Kerberus over the Mongolian plains. The various magical barriers prevented them from entering within the borders of China directly, so they had to move in steps. Kero, extremely worried about his guardian, kept on groaning at the insistent interruptions, but the other two were more concerned about the said nymphs that had decided to attack a normal prince.

" They're extremely simple." Spinel commented to himself. " Exceedingly simple. But they won't go for mortals, prince or not."  
" I told you, the kid is not mortal!"  
" I know." Ruby Moon sighed as they stopped right outside Tibet. " The thing is, he must be a powerful sorcerer if they actually bother to get him."  
" I thought we had this discussion already." Kero groaned. " Now Yue stuck under sand trying to keep the boy from falling into the hands of those...brats. I don't want to keep him there all day."  
" It gets cold at night." Spinel agreed. " We'll have to find an opening here, someone put a barrier right at the tip of this river."  
" Freakin' devils," Kero was muttering to himself. " How do we get past this thing?"

The guardians stood at the river for a long time pondering.

" Just like Yue to take the Book of Clow when I am the one that needs it." Kero muttered.  
" I guess we'll have to blast the thing." Spinel peered at it.  
" Wouldn't that alert whoever is here?"  
" True, but what else can we do? Take the long way?"  
" That would not be wise." A new voice said. The guardians whirled around, alarmed. Two figures stood before them, a man and a woman, clad in dark robes and pale as snow.

" Who are you?" Kero growled.  
" I am Cordelius. This is Maladrië. We are Half Mortals." Cordelius answered. " And we are here to help you."

" There is no Jade Emperor, but there is a Clow Reed," Julan shook his head. " It's too much." He muttered under his breath. " And nymphs! Nymphs!"

Yue listened intently, feeling that the nymphs should not be there still.

" I have magic too."  
" Yes."  
" That was why I was able to tell they were nymphs."  
" Perhaps."  
" Why can't you get rid of them?"  
" They're not exactly alive. It's hard to kill what's not living."  
" Not exactly alive?" Julan snorted in an unprincely fashion. " Define life."

Yue realized with a rush that he couldn't define it.  
" Ah, there we go. As far as I know," Julan began, " The nymphs are moving, probably breathing, beings. If we can stop them from moving, cut their Qi, it should be easy."  
" They're all Qi."  
" What?"  
" Nymphs are strange anomalies."  
" I sense your friend close by." Julan suddenly stated. Yue frowned. Sure enough. It was Kero, and...what?

The ground opened, though Yue was not the one to do it. Julan looked out bravely and composedly when he and Yue emerged.

" What's this?" Yue asked Kero.  
" Half Mortals." Kero answered.  
" What are they helping us for?"  
" Dunno. We had to accept, there was something blocking us at the border."  
" Just like that?"  
" Well, we had someone to worry about here!" Kero snapped. Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun stared at Julan.  
" Yes, I _am _the prince." Julan answered almost sarcastically. " I see no point in denying that, as I trust the social hierarchy of the magical realm is quite different from us mortals."  
" What did he just say?" Spinel asked.  
" This is too strange." Julan muttered, trying to bring logic to the image of a talking panther with wings, even if the panther spoke in a language he completely did not understand.  
" He said he _is _the prince, in case there's any doubt." Yue answered. " I think he knows you're skeptical, even if he doesn't know exactly _why_. There's more than one person here then, that believes you're readable."  
" They can't speak Han?" Julan asked Yue. " What _can _they speak?"  
" English. French. Some Slavonic language. It doesn't matter." Yue answered. " Who are you?"  
" That's Maladrië and Cordelius."  
" You don't say!" Julan stepped back. " Maladrië and Cordelius? What kind of names are those?"  
" What did he just say?" Ruby Moon asked.  
" He knows that's Maladrië and Cordelius. He thinks the names are ridiculous." Yue thought so too. " And I think it's time to go home. If you do anything _funny,_" he warned the two half mortals, despite the fact that they are much more powerful than Yue. Whatever the facts were, the half gods said nothing.

The Emperor was very thoughtful after hearing the magicians, and did not say anything for a full minute. There was something about the mortal that made the guardians feel very nervous. He didn't look angry. He simply looked displeased. And that look often meant trouble for the lords.

The half mortals weren't fazed though, and waited with patience for some sort of reaction from the sovereign, who stared at his wooden table. The servants shouted outside.

First Prince was with Julan, fussing over him. Julan patiently tolerated the childish displays of relief and happiness, and comforted his older brother enough to let him alone. Meiling and Che'er then tore Julan away from his brother, much to the eldest's chagrin, and began remonstrating him. Julan took this all in good humor.

" Will you protect him?"

Yue hesitated before answering. " It seems to be the only choice we have." He answered. " We're not sure why they're after your son though."  
" Because he is powerful." Li answered simply. " He was always powerful. He always knew more than others. He knew, even, that you were coming, though I didn't understand at the time. He knew you will bring with you a chance for him, though recently, I think he was beginning to doubt that." Yue thought of the prince's words when they sat together at the board game. " Do not all creatures crave power?"

Yue frowned. " It is rare indeed for a child his age to have foresight. I've only heard of three with that ability, and none of them were able to do it without training."

" I am a King, not a sorcerer." The Emperor answered. " My duty lies with the Great Han, not with the beyond. I do not understand these. If Julan's destiny lies with more than this Empire, it is not my place to interfere. He is my child though, the son of my flesh and blood, and his duty _is_, even if not completely, with this country. If anything goes wrong, magic or not, I trust that your skins can still be pierced by a sharp edge."

Wonderful. The Emperor is giving them a warning, and not a nice one. Yue remained impassive. He would not die by the edge of a sword, he would get hurt though, and Julan would just love that. He wasn't sure how to answer this particular statement, and neither did his fellow guardiansthey did not understand a single word. Julan came in at this time, calling to his father, whose face softened at the sight of his son alive and well.

" Ah, Taizi," The Emperor greeted almost warmly. In truth, it was about as warm as the royal family could get. " I trust you have comforted your cousins?"  
" Are you remonstrating Mr. Ride?" Julan blinked. " He is, after all, the one who saved me."  
" Yes, yes, of course." The Emperor replied smoothly. " I would like to mention, however, that myself and this family owe you much for protecting the Crowned Prince till now."

" Where were you two?"

Qenrle and Vilyan muttered a little. " We ran into some stray enchanters. They didn't recognize us, but they were doing so many things, we couldn't keep track and slip through."  
" You understand that the nymphs attacked the Phoenix today?"  
" They did?" Qenrle blinked. " Already? So soon?"  
" And in addition, the guardians of Clow Reed had to expose themselves to the mortals." Cordelius frowned. " We also have to explain to them exactly what we are dealing with."  
" And what would that be?" Li had just come out, with Julan close by him and the guardians following humbly behind.  
" That your son is the Phoenix." Maladrië answered. No one had any idea what had happened to the language barrier, but somehow the half mortals were speaking Chinese. Li was not interested in how that happened, nor was Julan, so no questions were asked.

Li frowned. " Come, let us to the gardens. It is quiet there."

It was quiet here, but the gardens have a thoughtful effect, and the half mortals did not complain.

" Are you two half mortals?" Yue asked.  
" Yes." Vilyan answered. " We are. We have come to protect the Phoenix."  
" I thought they are birds." Li answered stiffly.  
" To an extent." Qenrle answered. " There is much history to this, your Majesty. Long ago, this world was connected to three other worlds, and there are three types of magicians: Sorcerers, Enchanters, and Clerics. At one point in time, a young girl, no one knows who, found a phoenix egg in the middle of a forest and took it home with her. It hatched, revealing a small phoenix. No one knows the details, only that the Phoenix somehow had all the powers of the beginning of the world. There was a terrible war years later and the girl was killed. The Phoenix, to thank her for taking care of it, or rather, to avenge her because she had taken care of it, cast a curse on all three worlds and separated them into three realms. No one knows what the curse is, nor has anyone felt it. Some believe that the curse is death, others believe the curse to be all that is evil in human nature. Nevertheless, it was claimed that only the Phoenix could break the curse, and as sorcerers broke into nymphs, dryads, druids and prophets, and Enchanters broke into wizards and witches, the Phoenix disappeared. Some believe it died and was waiting to be reborn again. Others believe it passed into the paths of time. But whatever the actual story is, the Phoenix is here, in this realm, in this Han Empire, in the shape and blood of your son the Heir of the Han."  
" I've heard of this tale." Yue answered. " I heard a different version though."  
" It does not matter." Li's instincts spoke out to them. " What matters is, these _nymphs_ have tried to take the prince. And undoubtedly, the Enchanters and Clerics will as well."  
" We will have to prepare to fight them." Yue said. " And it can't be done with your soldiers."  
" No, I suppose not."  
" And Liu Julan will have to do some of the fighting."

Li did not answer to this. Julan, who was standing behind him, frowned at Yue.

Qenrle and Vilyan bowed a little. " We offer our services, your Highness."  
" As do we." Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon added. If Li thought a talking panther offering services was bizarre, he offered no indication of it. Instead, he only nodded, breathed a deep sigh, and stroked the stubble of beard on his chin.

" I always knew you were different." Che tried to lighten up the mood. Julan smiled, but it was half hearted.  
" So what happens now?" Che asked. " I mean, with all the soldiers of the Han, none of them could stand against whatever strange evil you speak of. Is there no one that has the same powers as these foreigners?"  
" Most likely, if I have powers, maybe my brothers do too. Maybe you two have powers, even if it's only a little," Julan replied hopefully. " I never used any of my powers before. Maybe we just need to realize it."

Meiling looked sullen. " Didn't Ridi already sense that you have great powers?" She pointed out. " He never mentioned the rest of us, in fact, he thought it odd that you, born of royalty, had such power."  
" Still," Julan refused to be swayed, " Even if we don't have any other magicians in the family, perhaps there are others in the Han. Surely, this empire, the largest in the east, ought to have someone or other that is willing to fight?"

He knew he was acting too much at this point, but Julan was getting more and more terrified. This new threat, a threat that regular soldiers or diplomacy cannot withstand, a threat that history never remembered, is coming for him, and him alone. The knowledge that he would possibly have to fight this ambiguous threat by himself was not comforting at all. Sensing this, the other two stopped trying to suppress his hopes. Julan knew they were possibly fruitless anyway.

In truth, Julan thought, as the three sat in silence, he always knew he might die. In fact, deep in his heart, he knew he _will _die. It was more of how that he was afraid of. He was young, a child, not even close to being a man. He knew of courage and honor but he lacked the maturity and knowledge to face it without fear. Honor he knew how to weild. Courage is something unfamiliar. He had been afraid he would die of poison. Poison was not so bad. He had been afraid he would die from sickness. Sickness was not so bad either. From the axe, from a sword, these deaths were not alien. History saw and remembered many cases like these. But this new threat, the Enchanters and Clerics, how will they kill? Will they make it long and painful? Will they rip his soul to shreds?

Clearing his head of these morbid thoughts, Julan focused on the here and now. He rose without a word and went out, his mind searching for someone. He wasn't sure who exactly he was looking for.

" We'll set up a fort here." Yue told Kero. " The Emperor agreed to send out notices to all the lords to announce. Who knows how he's going to do it, but I told him he must do it with as much cunning as possible. Not all Chinese are faithful, after all."  
" I don't like this at all." Kero answered. " For mortals, it's a great area. For Wizards and Clerics, it's easy enough to take over. Not even Clow could guard this with all his cards."

Yue paused. " It's not like we have much of a choice." He answered. " China has land, certainly, but it does not have that much magic in its soil. If it does, it's in the mountains towards the west, where there are few inhabitants."  
" We'll move there." Julan interrupted. Yue nearly lost his wits. He refrained from shouting out in surprise.  
" Your Highness certainly has a sense of stealth." Yue remarked uncomfortably.  
" Call me Xiao Lang." Julan said quietly.  
" Pardon?" Yue blinked.  
" With magicians," The boy pointed out wisely, " I don't suppose bloodlines matter."

It was a great display of trust on the prince's part, Yue knew. Only those extremely close to Julan called him Xiao Lang. It was a name that will not last; once Julan grows older it would lose its charm and become an insult instead. For now though, Yue felt, Julan was looking for some affection. Affection he could not get safely from the Emperor. Yue was perhaps the most powerful person Julan trusted, if Julan trusted him at all.

" Come, such talk is not for children." Yue said quietly. Any other child would have protested, but Julan just looked at him wearily.  
" We had many wars, my lord." The boy answered. " Children watched their mothers die and their fathers whipped till blood flowed enough to grow rice. Such sights were not for children. I am no younger than they."

Yue touched the boy's shoulder gently. " Worry not for the future." He answered. " Worry only for the present. We are here to help you. For now, there is peace. Rest while you still can."  
" Walk with me." Julan suddenly said.

" Someday all these will be gone." Julan looked around. " Someday all these will be gone."  
" Why do you say that?" Yue asked.  
" I see it." Julan answered. " I know it."

Yue didn't know if he ever met anyone more pessimistic than the prince.

" We should still fight though." Julan went on. " Just so..." He looked at Yue sadly.

" Your Highness?"

Julan went on walking. He could hear many whispers, whispering of war and fire. There will be bloodshed, the earth would soak and drink it like it drank rains and rivers until it could drink no more. The blood would flow above the grass like a red marsh, silen and sour in the air. Julan shook his head of that image and edged a little closer to Yue's side.

" You are immortal."  
" My prince?"  
" I am not your prince." Julan said quietly. " Are you immortal?"  
" ...yes."  
" Odd, how a man can create an immortal being when he himself never found the way to cheat Death."  
" He did not choose to."  
" Ah." Julan nodded. " And why not? Do not all humans desire immortality?"  
" I cannot say."  
" Of course not." Julan smiled bitterly. " _You _do not desire immortality, do you, Yue?"

Yue remembered how lost he had felt when Clow Reed died. He couldn't exactly disagree with the the prince.

" When this is over," The prince said quietly, " You will desire it less."

Yue was not sure what he meant. The prince began walking again. 


	8. Chapter 8

War of Magicians

The Birth of the Phoenix

Chapter 8

" Whoa, slow down mate! You can't tire out before the actual party right now. Eriol!"  
" My descendant is going to die if we don't hurry and so is the Card Mistress and you're bloody telling me to _slow down?_" Eriol sighed. " I'm sorry. I'm losing it."  
" I can tell, good lord! Hiriingaziwa, or whatever name you gave yourself, I've never seen you this out of it since, since, since I met you!"  
" I guess I am just nervous about the upcoming war." Eriol sighed. " Li Syaoran's just a child Richard. So is the Card Mistress. And...I died before there was any war."  
" Hey, I understand, mate." Richard sighed. " Things're going hectic lately around here too. Can't believe I didn't notice it before. People were starting to whisper about strange magic coming from the skies and all that nonsense. Could be those nasty nymphs."  
" Come on, I hope you can speak Polish." Eriol sighed, walking down the road.

" It's not like I'm familiar with acting like a prince." Syaoran looked indignant. " Sue me if I'm not perfectly like Julan. For the last time Yue!"

Yue was laughing. " It never hurts to be sure." He answered, smiling tenderly at the child.

Yue and Syaoran, Kero had explained to Sakura, had dropped into one of the bickerings they liked to have during dire circumstances in the old days or when they feel uneasy. Apparently Yue and Syaoran had done this many times when they were trapped in the hands of the elves-they like to argue nonsense until the solution presents itself, or confuse the clerics enough to create a surprise attack on them.

" This is all your fault." Syaoran muttered. " All your fault."  
" How is it my fault?"  
" You brought this mess! If you hadn't taken me to Forbidden City of all places we wouldn't be stuck here!"  
" If you weren't running out in the rain, I wouldn't have brought you here!"

Syaoran turned to Sakura for help. Sakura just scowled at him.

" Very mature, Li Syaoran." She laughed.  
" What makes you think he was ever mature?" Yue suddenly asked. Syaoran shot a glare at the guardian, who pretended not to notice.  
" I sense someone coming." Kero suddenly said.

Kaho entered the room. " Good afternoon."  
" Kaho-san!" Sakura rushed up to greet her former teacher. Kaho smiled at the girl.

" Ah." The German sorceress nodded. " So the-Preence iz back. I vonder vhy they deedn't go avtuh him soonuh."

Richard was trying really really hard to understand what she was saying. Eriol didn't bother.  
He began explaining things to the German woman ( what is a German sorceress doing in Poland? He wondered,) and the German wasted no time in agreeing. Several Polish sorcerers were already waiting impatiently with Richard, muttering curses in Polish and whatever flowery language they could speak.

" ¿Qué hago?" One sorcerer blinked.  
" No sé." His companion answered. " Me duele la cabeza. No quiero, no quiero, no quiero...¿qué hora es?"

Eriol shut his eyes to block out the murmurs of French and Portuguese.

" Alright, we're all set and ready to head for Moscow. Ali said to meet us there after he finished gathering sorcerers from the Middle East and Egypt. I already asked for the help of Pablo in the Latin Americas, and he's going to gather them and meet us in Forbidden City." Eriol nodded at Richard.  
" We still have the US and Canada to deal with though."  
" Well, Hiriingaziwa, that's your call. I know no one from the Americas." Richard answered. " We'll need the beastmasters too-they served a great role in the past War Between Realms. I hope this new Prince Julan is as smart as the last one."  
" Hmph. I can't say he's stupid." Eriol answered thoughtfully. " He's certainly inexperienced, having no reason to be involved in political issues at such a young age, but after meeting with Yue, who _is _familiar with political issues, I'm sure that won't be a problem. Do you know any shamans? I know there are few left but-"  
" Yes, I know a few." Richard sighed. " Shall we go now?"

The huge wave of magic nearly burst open the door, and Eriol stepped in, with a sour expression on his face. It took a moment for Syaoran to realize why-following the magician was a long train of sorcerers all speaking in different languages and all talking very enthusiastically. He shot the boy a sympathetic look despite his former dislike of the boy-it takes a lot of energy to get that many people in order, especially if half the people don't understand what was wanted of them, which Syaoran supposed was the case.

It was a colorful spectacle, because each sorcerer dressed in their own culture's clothing. They entered the building in a terribly disorganized fashion, startling even Yue who had put on an impassive expression to prepare for the intrusion. The only one who managed to keep her head was Kaho, though she was just as surprised as the rest, and set about helping Eriol organize the large group.

They were all anxious to meet Syaoran-something the boy would not have, and in response to their various questionings, ( most of which he could not understand) he resolved it all by hiding behind Yue, who put on as cold an expression as possible which downright daunted the sorcerers perhaps more than an ogre would. Briefly the guardian mused on how the prince would have faced them without fear, but decided that Syaoran was wise in doing what he did because he did not have that kind of authority.

_No more princes, all thanks to the Cultural Revolution, and to think the Chinese thought Chairman Mao was a good man._ Yue thought bitterly. _I do wonder how the Li's managed to escape his wrath. Perhaps the patriarch was a smart man-had good dealings with the oaf, maybe? At least Syaoran is of noble blood, otherwise things could be worse._

" I wonder how Hiriingaziwa kept _that_ from the crowd." Syaoran sniffed.  
" Probably a concealing spell." Yue answered, still standing in front of the boy. " Are you going to come out anytime soon? You'll have to face them one time or another, you know."  
" I know. I'm waiting for them to quiet down. They're too excited."

Yue had to agree.

Syaoran suddenly seemed sheepish. " Perhaps you wanted to protect Sakura from the crowd."  
" They're intrigued, but not as much by her as by you." Yue answered. " You're going to start a war."

Syaoran's mood was destroyed. " Please don't remind me Yue." He said in Mandarin, if it was a little accented. " It's bad enough I started one last time."

Eriol managed to calm himself before going further, otherwise he was afraid he'd lose his temper for the first time in his life. He and Richard managed to gather around seventy to eighty magicians-he lost count, from Germany, Italy, England, France, Spain, Russia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Jerusalem and Jourdan. Supposedly, the ones from China and Thailand were also coming along, and the ones in Indonesia and the Phillipines are coming with the Latinos. The Koreans were among the Europeans.

" This is crazy." Richard sighed. " This is insane."

Eriol chose not to comment. He turned to one of the Serbians and said very slowly in English,

" We Need A Battle Plan."

The Serbian, the most powerful of the country, seemed to understand the meaning behind the words, because he began choosing the more powerful sorcerers, leaving Eriol in peace for the time being, which was taken up by Kaho who, humorlessly, poured some tea for him.

" First of all," Eriol sighed, waiting for everyone to quiet down, but before he could continue Syaoran interrupted him.  
" First of all, I'm the Crowned Prince Julan or I was, anyway, but what you need to know is that I'm the Phoenix Child here, now that we have that over with, we need to take care of Sakura's family and my family, so someone volunteer to go get them?"

There was a moment's pause as everyone attempted to digest the rapid and short speech. Eriol stared at Syaoran in surprise. Eventually, two people did volunteer-a Korean and an American who recently arrived, and Sakura and Syaoran gave them the address.

Eriol then began.

" Now that we have that settled, we also need about six people who can serve as spies. We need someone who is fairly resistant to spells, is fluent in sneaking. Please tell me there is someone." Eriol muttered under his breath.

There were some murmurs.

" Err...no sé,"  
" -lento-"  
" -shivik-"  
" Tang tse-"

Eventually, after the translaters had interpretted Eriol's words into the languages, several people volunteered, and Eriol nodded, bidding them to stand into the next room.

" Next, we'll need to find an area clear of mortals where we can set up a base." Eriol stated. Syaoran cocked an eyebrow.

_Nowhere in China, I'll bet._ He thought.

The meeting was long.

" Be glad I'm the one teaching you archery." Yukito pushed his glasses up his nose. " According to Master Richard over there, there are some loony sorcerers those two jokers invited to Forbidden City."  
" At least I'm getting to be multilingual." Syaoran said humorlessly, raising his bow.

Poof!

Syaoran tossed the burnt bow from him. " Why do I keep on doing that?"  
" Pity, you had such good eyes too."  
" Yukito!"  
" Alright, alright, I'll stay quiet."

Syaoran sighed. " So when do the lessons start?"  
" Two days, as soon as the Kinomotos arrive here."  
" Brilliant. Things are going so fast."  
" I know."  
" Syaoran-kun?"

Syaoran turned. Sakura was heading towards them, looking about nervously.  
" They say we're moving now."  
" Great." Syaoran sniffed. Sakura looked tired, he was tired, everyone's tired. _Why do these things happen to me?_

" Things would be hectic for a while." Yue told Sakura and Syaoran. " Everyone's preparing. At least this time most sorcerers are on our side. We have some very powerful magicians."  
" So what do we do now?" Sakura asked.  
" Stay put." Syaoran suggested.  
" Sounds like a good idea." Sakura interrupted Yue before the guardian could answer. Yue decided not to speak.

The three sat silent for a while, eventually joined by Kerberus and Spinel Sun. The comfortable silence reigned for around an hour. Syaoran brooded on his life and how things were turning. Sakura worried over her father and brother and how they were going to take this. Yue was in his memories.

In his mind's eye, Yue saw the young Prince Julan training with the half mortals. The beastmasters joked amongst themselves while keeping watch around the grounds. He could hear Clow's voice saying, _" That child there shows promise. See how his eyes are? The way they're positioned, the color, everything, shows that this child will become great one day..."But Clow was dead then. Why did he feel as if Clow was standing right next to him at that time? There were other times when Yue imagined what Clow would say, but that time..._

They were in a field, he remembered. The prince was very doubtful and was extremely concerned for his two oldest brothers. The boy had voiced his opinions again and again to Yue and the half mortals but none of them cared to listen, or rather, afforded to.

The First Prince turned out to be a very powerful sorcerer. He lacked, however, the ability to control it properly, so after some fruitless efforts the half mortals erased his memory and froze his mind so he could not remember anything at all starting from the point where Julan had disappeared. The boy would not be able to remember anything new either, but that didn't matter because he wasn't able to remember things in the first place.

The Second Prince, Yue mused, was just as weak as the first was powerful, so he was fairly useless, but the Second Prince had one useful trait-he was resistant to all spells, mind, or physical. That, along with his handicap, the beastmasters had so cheerfully ( and rudely) pointed out, would be good for a role of the spy, which the half mortals reluctantly offered, and which the prince had willingly accepted.

Julan protested against this, and it was the first time, Yue smiled at the memory, that he had witnessed the extent of the child's stubbornness and self-certainty. _I'm right, you're wrong, and you better do as I say,_ the prince's every move and word said. He didn't accomplish much in terms of relieving his brother of the danger, but he did earn the respect of everyone, including his more unfamiliar siblings.

" Earth to Yue, Guardian of Sakura Cards. You've been out for quite a while there."

Yue blinked. Sakura was giggling. Syaoran's face was expressionless, but his eyes held a glint.

" Care to share?"

" Tibet? We're going to _Tibet _of all places??"  
" It's not quite as populated. Would you prefer Mongolia? Completely flat land."

Syaoran bit his lip.

" We're hiding in one of the taller mountains in Tibet." Eriol informed him. " There's a rather dense collection of caves on one section of it, and it's well-hidden. In addition, it has a natural magical barrier, so should any of us need to train we can do so with relatively little fear."

Syaoran glared. " You don't need to beat around the bush, Hiriingaziwa. I know I need to train."

Eriol did not answer. Syaoran turned. " Do we leave?"  
" Hai."  
" Now?"  
" Hai."

Syaoran turned to Sakura. " Ready?"

" No wonder they chose this bloody place." Richard muttered. " It's completely made of magic, this mountain."  
" Legend had it," One of the English-speaking Russians answered, " that this mountain was made by one of the idols during the Shang Dynasty. That time the magic was crude, but it was certainly not weak, and the idols set this up to avoid capture from the nomads towards the west."  
" Must be a pretty powerful idol." The Canadian sorcerer answered almost sarcastically. Syaoran examined the place with a brief scan of his eyes.

" It'll do." He answered. " It saves energy than trying to build a fortress. This is a natural barrier. There're treasures we can use under one of the boulders but we can get those later. Right now we need to send off the spies and get settled so we can find some strategy we can use. Sakura, you take your brother and father over to that cave over there-it's safer there."

Yelan had already chosen hers, and the Li clan was getting settled.

" Hmph. Talk about de-evolution."  
" Very funny Li." Eriol said flatly. Syaoran smirked.

The interesting order of characters began filing into the mountain. 


End file.
